Rogue (Rewrite)
by Welcome to the New
Summary: The Uprising has only just begun. As new enemies begin to show strike back at Clu, and tensions rise among programs, questions begin rising as to who the Rogue is, or what he is. To make matters worse, rumors of a User running rampant on the Grid have put everyone on edge. Sequel to Different (Rewrite). Second in Therapy Session Series. Rated T for mentions of torture.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

" _But as you get older a lot of weight on your shoulders is getting heavy, Then you look back and you start to regret things You only get one life, And every time you lookin' at yours You feel like everything you have is a waste..._ " - Wake Up, NF

* * *

Darkness. It seems like darkness is the only thing that one can find throughout the Grid. An eternal cold blanket of darkness that wraps around you until there is nothing left. Sometimes, it feels like there's no chance of fighting back, no escaping it's grasp. Until you realize that you are not alone in this cold, cruel world. When that moment arrives, you understand that there are others worth fighting for. That no matter how impossible it may seem, someone cares for you.

…

A program was running through the streets of Argon City, trying to avoid getting caught by the ominous Recognizers sweeping the area for strays or programs out after curfew. With so many Recognizers sweeping the area now, programs couldn't take the luxury of resting. Running was the only way they would slip out of the soldiers' grasp. So, she didn't stop until reaching the side of a building, gasping for breath as a Recognizer got too close for comfort.

Lately, there had been more Recognizers sweeping the city. The Renegade had been making a name for himself, striking fear into the Occupation and building hope for programs like her. She started running again when another Recognizers search light reached her.

This time, there was nowhere for her to hide. She skidded to a halt as the black guard began sweeping down from the Recognizers, disks activated. Instinct quickly kicked in, and she reached for her own disk. The black guard were fast, though, and easily took advantage of her as she was overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

But, just as quickly as they had apprehended her, they were stopped just as quickly. The program blinked in amazement as the black guards were knocked out with ease. It didn't take a genius to realize that the Renegade had come to her rescue.

"Go, now, before more show up!" he told her after knocking out the last black guard, making sure they didn't get the chance to follow her.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

The program he just rescued sounded more than grateful that she lived to see another cycle. Without another word, she made a run for it, leaving the Renegade behind.

Once she was gone, the Renegade let out a sigh and observed the guards that were knocked out. Programs like her were the reason he worked tirelessly to ensure they were always free. It was an exhausting job, and a thankless one, at that. Programs who were rescued might be thankful at the heat of the moment, but later on, they would blame him for being caught in the first place.

 _Well, I'd rather be the one freeing them than oppressing them_ , he reminded himself as he headed back to the usual meeting place.

He had been the Renegade for at least two xilacycles, now. On the first cycle of his new role, he hadn't had much confidence. Now, it was like he could do this with his eyes closed. Those two xilacycles had taught him valuable fighting skills that came in handy while he was out working. The only difference was, he now worked alone.

At one time, there had been two Renegades. Tesler was always fumbling around with new ways to catch them. But, the Renegades were always one step ahead of him. It wasn't until an insane program known as Cyrus had changed things between their partnership. His partner, the other Renegade, had left after Cyrus attacked a couple of mechanics and he left them for the blame. Cyrus' attack had been a painful blow on everyone who worked at Able's garage. The Renegade himself especially felt that blow; he had been close to Able, and to the other Renegade who took the blame for what had happened.

Shaking his head at the thought, he tried to push it away. Thinking of her only brought back painful memories. She had left without warning, and when she had left, she said he would forget about her, like all programs did. Truthfully, he couldn't bring himself to forget her. She was different from any other program he had met. She fought back with a fiery prowess that could leave Clu shaking in his boots. When they first met, she had taken him by surprise with her fierce determination and lack of trust in programs. There weren't many programs like her who were willing to put up with whatever the Grid threw at them.

To his relief, he didn't have to think of her for long. The building where he was supposed to meet his mentor was just a few feet away. It was an abandoned building that lay on the edge of Argon City, where the Recognizers didn't sweep as often. They would often meet at that location because it wasn't checked as often by the guard. It made rendezvousing much easier. Climbing to the top wasn't the challenging part. Seeing whatever his mentor was up to, now that was the real challenge.

"You're late," came a grated voice that always seemed to intimidate whoever he spoke to.

The Renegade only rolled his eyes as his helmet collapsed, revealing the face of a young looking program with spiky brown hair.

"Sorry, I got held up," he replied with a shrug. The taller program, whose suit was all black with a few white circuits, turned to face him. "So, what was so important that it couldn't wait until I got to the safehouse?"

"I've received word that Clu is on his way to Argon City," Tron explained, ignoring the look of surprise flashing in the young program's eyes. "I suspected he would return, especially when Dyson found out I was still alive."

"How are we supposed to fight back if Clu's around?" the program asked warily.

He knew he wasn't ready to face Clu, at least not alone. The tyrant who ruled the Grid was ruthless, and he was known for taking down programs without raising much of a finger. If Clu was returning to Argon City, nothing good would come out of his visit. They had been preparing for the moment when Clu would return. The problem was, there was only so much the two of them could do. They would need an entire team to the problem if they wanted to survive the outcome.

"Beck, you need to lay low, for now," Tron told him, eyes dark as he studied the young mechanic's reaction. "Clu won't hesitate to repurpose you, or derezz you, if you're captured."

Beck only crossed his arms and glared back. He didn't like the fact that Tron was aware of his incapability of taking down Clu by himself. But, he understood Tron's concerns. Being the Renegade put him under a vulnerable position, especially if he was suddenly captured. The last thing either of them wanted was for himself to get captured by the tyrant. If Clu got his hands on him or Tron himself, there was no telling what would happen to the rest of the Grid. For now, it was best to play it safe until Clu left the city.

"Alright, that sounds fair enough," he sighed after giving in. "What are _you_ going to do?"

Lately, Tron had been searching the cities across the Grid for signs of the other Renegade, who seemed to have vanished. Beck knew she had her reasons for staying away. Clu had done terrible things to her, and probably far worse than she would ever admit. She only shared bits and pieces of what Clu really did to her when she was being held captive. There were times when Beck wished he had pried more information out of her, but he realized that wouldn't have gotten them anywhere.

Tron blamed himself for what had happened to her. Beck often overheard him muttering to himself about how he hadn't even _known_ she was on the Grid in the first place. How she managed to avoid the prying eyes of a security monitor was beyond his understanding. Even when he did finally realize that she was a User, he was still unable to read the contents of her disk, or see her through Beck's disk. Her ability to disappear had always been a mystery that had fascinated and worried Beck. There weren't many programs with the same capabilities, and he wondered if all Users had similar abilities.

"I'm going to keep an eye on the city," Tron replied when a few nanocycles of awkward silence went by. "Spend some time with your friends; I'm sure they could use the company, now more than ever."

Beck simply nodded in response, realizing that this was his chance to finally get a break from all his work as the Renegade. With Tron's injuries fully healed, he could take on the role as the Renegade for a while. He had been acting as the second Renegade every now and then if Beck really needed the backup. Though, he only went out if it was a true emergency. Tron had allowed Beck to handle almost every mission on his own since Mira left, and he'd grown quite confident with himself because of that. Though he did miss having a partner in crime every now and then.

With that thought in mind, Beck took the chance to leave before Tron changed his mind. He _did_ want to see his friends again. Thanks to chipping in and making sure that everyone had a place to sleep, the mechanics who once worked at Able's garage had found an apartment to stay in. The quarters weren't all that appealing, but at least it was a place they could call home. And they all had each other to rely on if things got really dicey.

Pavel had fired all the mechanics at the garage when they stood up for the Renegade. Had they known it was Tron they were standing up for, Beck had a feeling they wouldn't hesitate to join the Uprising. But, he didn't want them putting their lives in danger. That was _his_ job, not theirs. He'd worked hard to gain their trust and prove to them that the Renegade wanted to fight _for_ them rather than _against_ them. He wasn't in any hurry to prove them otherwise, or to give Tesler a chance to prove _he_ had been right all this time.

He only shook his head at the thought, knowing full well that when they were ready, he would tell them. He would tell them everything about his role in the Uprising, and how they needed to start standing up to Tesler and the Occupation. Maybe, he wouldn't need to keep going at it alone. That thought alone was enough to send a thrill of hope through him. He had always hated lying to them. While it had been for their own protection, he knew that Tron was right about putting their lives in danger until they were ready to face those consequences.

 _Or they would turn you in the nano they had the chance_ , a small voice reminded him silently. Beck frowned at the thought, realizing just how much his own conscience was starting to sound like Mira's. She would have said the same thing. She would not be afraid to admit that programs were willing to turn her in, without even thinking of the consequences. He couldn't help but shake his head when he tried pushing those thoughts aside. Mira hadn't always been right about trusting programs. But he couldn't blame her for not wanting to trust them after everything that happened to her.

When he reached the apartment, Mara and Zed were already in the living space. They shared a living space together, and had separate sleeping quarters. That made slipping in and out much easier for Beck, especially since his, conveniently enough, came with a fire escape. He'd chosen that location mostly to slip in and out whenever the Renegade was needed. Tron had stopped by occasionally when he found out where they were staying, but only to convey news on how the city was coping with Able's loss.

"Beck, where have you been?" Mara asked, narrowing her eyes upon his arrival. "You know what, don't bother answering that. All you ever seem to do lately is lie," she added under her breath.

Zed only gaped at Mara as she dismissed Beck with a small wave of her hand. Beck frowned as he realized that this was Mara's way of hiding her grief, and frustration. She hadn't taken Able's death well. No one had. But his death hit her particularly hard, and she seemed to take it out on Beck the most. By now, he had gotten used to the way Mara and everyone else at the garage treated him. Considering what he was fighting for and what he stood for, he knew it was pointless to try and defend himself against their accusations.

"Look, I just needed to get some air," he explained with a shrug. It was partly true. When he slipped away unnoticed, he did just need some air to clear his head. "I didn't realize how late it was until heading back."

"You're lucky you weren't caught by the black guard," Zed told him after recovering from Mara's behavior. "Though, something tells me they wouldn't be able to catch you, even if they tried."

That much was true. Beck would not let himself get caught unless the situation called for it. He had learned more than one way to evade the black guard. There was one commander though, who always seemed to catch him by surprise. On more than one occasion, she'd almost caught him. Surprisingly though, he'd managed to wriggle out of her grasp each time. Their escapades usually turned into a game of chase or tag. And most of the time, Beck was able to escape her. Though it was clear Paige had been getting more determined than ever to capture the Renegade and anyone who stood up for him.

"So, any luck in finding new jobs?" he asked as he sat on the single chair.

Mara and Zed usually took the sofa, since the two were closer than ever. Beck didn't mind sitting alone, especially since he knew he was already on loose terms with Mara. Most of the time, Mara simply chose to ignore his presence entirely. He was thankful for those rare moments. His fellow mechanic would often snap at the slightest things, and her behavior had only gotten worse since Able's death.

"No, of course not," Mara scoffed, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Each potential employer we went to turned us down. It's as if they're afraid to hire us!"

"Well, it wouldn't be this way if we hadn't stood up for the _Renegade_ ," Zed muttered.

Beck found himself flinching at the accusing tone in Zed's voice. Mara was the one who rallied everyone to stand up for the Renegade when the Super Recognizer crashed. Pavel and a group of soldiers had them cornered, but all of the mechanics had stood in their way. Had things gone any differently, Beck was sure that he would be stuck in a prison somewhere, or worse.

"Look, I'm sure things will pick up soon enough," he tried reassuring them with a smile. "We've gone through worse situations, right?"

Mara and Zed looked at him doubtfully, but he could see a small flicker of hope in Mara's eyes. Despite her recent change in attitude, Mara still tried to remain optimistic during their living situation. She like everyone else wanted to get decent jobs and a place to stay instead of having to share a shabby apartment. Though it wasn't the best situations to find themselves in, at least it was better than living out on the streets or the Outlands. Beck knew that their fate could have been worse had Pavel decided to arrest everyone that fateful cycle.

"Beck's right," she sighed. "We need to stop being so hard on ourselves, and on each other. It's time we started standing up for ourselves."

Zed nodded in agreement, all too quick to join Mara in anything she suggested. It was obvious he had a crush on her, but he was unwilling to admit his feelings. Beck almost wished he would get it done and over with. It would at least save everyone from the tension between them.

"Alright, enough with the depressing stuff," Zed said, clasping his hands together as he looked at Beck mischievously. "You know; you never did tell us where that friend of yours went."

Once again, Beck found himself flinching at the mention of Mira.

She was brought up every now and then, and usually by Zed. He was curious to know what had happened to her, or if she had just been a hologram this whole time. It had become an inside joke between them, because she rarely spoke to either mechanics unless Beck was with her. Truthfully, Beck didn't like talking about her. It only brought up painful memories of the way she'd left him standing there, confused and hurt by what she had said.

He tried to ignore the guilt that stabbed him in the chest when he thought of Mira. There were times when he wondered if she left because of him. She'd chosen to leave at such a terrible time, and yet Beck couldn't bring himself to blame her for wanting to leave after what Cyrus did to them. She had suffered from so much more than anyone else he'd met. And he suspected that she had been hiding all of the guilt and loss weighing down on her own shoulders at the time.

"Zed," Mara began, narrowing her eyes when she noticed how Beck had tensed up.

"No, it's okay," he reassured her. "It's just been so many cycles since I've seen her… she had to go back to Tron City. Something came up," he explained with a shrug. "We still keep in touch with each other, though."

"Oh, so _do_ you like her?" Zed asked, and Beck couldn't help but grimace at the thought.

One punch in the arm from Mara was enough for Zed to silence himself. He blinked in surprise after realizing he'd hit a sore spot. Mentioning Mira was one thing, but asking whether or not Beck had feelings for her was an entirely different story. Something told them both that there was more to this girl than Beck was letting on.

…

Few programs knew of the User that had found herself lost on the Grid so many xilacycles ago. Fewer still spoke of the harsh treatment she was given while running from city to city. Clu made sure of that, by derezzing the few programs who did know of her existence.

Clu found himself standing in the observation deck of the flagship that was headed for Argon City, looking thoughtful as he prepared for what would happen during his stay. There were rumors flying around that a User was living in Argon City. The very same User that he'd captured all those xilacycles ago. He had planned to capture her. He knew that if Tron was alive, she would likely be with him. It was quite literally killing two birds with one stone. He just needed to figure out a way of flushing them both out into the open to make his capture secure.

"Sir, we're entering Argon now," came the voice of Dyson as he arrived in the observation deck.

"Good," Clu replied once his second in command told him the news. "I want Tesler's army prepped and ready for a meeting the nano we arrive."

"Sir?" Dyson looked at Clu warily, fully aware that something important was going on.

"There needs to be changes made to Tesler's… lack of leadership," Clu explained. "He's incompetent, and unable to control his temper when it comes to the Renegade. I want the Renegade captured, alive. Along with Tron, wherever he's hiding."

Not to mention, he would want his hands on the User as well. He had unfinished business with her. Xilacycles of working on her during her time in the coliseum only made him more determined to recapture the little User that had caused so much trouble. Not only had she made a valuable asset to his quarry, but all that work wasn't going to go to waste. Clu had planned on using whatever methods he could to flush her out into the open once he determined where she was.

"Sir, there's something I should have told you, sooner," Dyson sighed after brushing a hand through his hair.

He knew Clu wasn't going to like this bit of news, especially since they had worked so hard on building the Super Recognizer. He quickly explained how the Super Recognizer had crashed, and how Tron was able to escape without getting repurposed in the process. It was only thanks to the Renegade and a few mechanics that they managed to escape in the first place, overwhelming Tesler's army through sheer numbers and willpower.

"What?" Clu scowled at the realization they had lost their best weapon. "And how long were you going to wait to share this information with me?"

"Sir, we only just received word about its loss," Dyson replied, wincing at the anger in Clu's voice. He had been dreading the moment he would have to explain how the Super Recognizer was destroyed. The only consolation he had was that this had been mostly Tesler's fault. "The Renegade was the one who crashed it."

"So, not only do we have the Renegade to worry about, but we also have a fully healed Tron to worry about as well," Clu sighed in frustration.

This did not bode well for him. If Tron was fully healed, then it meant Tron would likely fight back with equal force. He wasn't going to take Clu's hostile takeover sitting down. Especially when there was also a User on the loose. They did not have as much time as Clu had hoped, and the sooner he took care of his unfinished business, the better off everyone was.

* * *

 **AN: So, this is the beginning of the rewrite to Rogue. And, I must say, it is very different from the original. A couple aspects will remain the same, but for the most part, everything else will be different. I'm really looking forward to seeing how readers react to this one, so reviews would be greatly appreciated. Also, I just want to warn everyone that this one will be darker than the first one... I thought of switching the rating to M, but it's really not violent enough for that, thankfully.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

How many cycles had it been since she last saw them? It felt like xilacycles ago. In reality, only a xilacycle had passed since she had left them. All that time she spent working at the club, figuring out what to do with her new life. She had learned several things about herself as a User, and put it to her advantage. One of those abilities happened to be healing. Programs who were injured during the games and rescued microcycles later would find themselves fully recovered, with renewed energy. She'd made a name for herself in that hilocycle. She started giving Clu a run for his money.

Mira found herself working at the DJs booth at the End of Line club in Tron City. The music she played had a hypnotic beat to it, with lyrics mixed into it. She'd learned to perform different kinds of music depending on what mood she was in, and by tapping into the music of the Real World. The club itself had gotten busier because of the music. Programs flocked to hear the unusual, haunting melodies that often caught their attention. Mira couldn't help but smirk as she thought of how shocked they would be if they found out who was producing this kind of music.

It didn't really matter, though. She was keeping herself busy these last few cycles working under Castor, the owner of this club. It was only thanks to his generosity that she had a job and a place to stay in the city. Any other program would have turned her down in a heartbeat due to her lack of skills. She was no mechanic, no medic, or anything that could prove useful in the occupation. Since Castor had offered her the position, she was more than grateful to have a place she could call home.

"I'd love to know who that DJ is," she heard one program say once her shift was over.

The DJ who replaced her was running late, but she didn't mind working overtime. Honestly, Mira had gotten so used to working on her own that it felt awkward working alongside someone these days. By the time the DJ did finally arrive, most of the programs had begun enjoying the music she selected. Some of them had been surprised when the replacement DJ took over, and others had even complained.

She shrugged it off and headed out of the club, all too aware that a few programs had noticed her leaving the booth. Some of them had asked who she was, and it became all the more awkward when she didn't respond. Her lack of trust towards programs had only gotten worse over the cycles. She didn't speak unless it was someone she was forced to speak with. Castor was one of the few programs she trusted enough to talk to here.

Though he tried using her for his own personal gain, she couldn't necessarily blame him at the time. Clu's presence had put everyone on edge, and by the time the Betrayal struck throughout the Grid, Mira understood why he'd been so persistent in teaching her everything she now knew. Even so, Castor wasn't even aware of who he hired at the time. True, she'd shared bits and pieces of who she was, but he hadn't been able to guess that she was the same User he'd taken in xilacycles ago.

Once she was free of the curious stares or questions, Mira let out a sigh of relief. This was only part one of the cycle to come. The coliseum was another place that she often found herself. Though she hated going back to places that left bad memories, she was determined to make sure that other programs didn't meet the same fate.

A shudder ran through her as she recalled all those xilacycles ago when she was captured by Clu. His cold, calculating gaze would continue searching for any signs of weakness she might have. He would use Rinzler as his main weapon, and Rinzler would use her for target practice. That was how she had gotten so many of her scars. There were many visible scars, but most of the deeper ones were hidden. Mira hated to think of what sort of internal injuries she had received during that time.

Mira shook her head at the thought and tried to block out the horrible memories. It was best to put the past behind her and move on. She had learned to keep looking ahead. Thinking of the past would only bring back the nightmares she had suffered from when she left Argon City.

As she headed for the coliseum, she made sure to put on her disguise that had made her so infamous throughout the city.

Programs that did know about the Rogue didn't bother telling Clu about her. They were aware that the Rogue was out to help them, and liberate programs under Clu's reign of tyranny. Mira used her disguise as a way of keeping other programs off her scent as well. Two programs in particular would have recognized her moves in a heartbeat had she kept her old disguise.

 _It's better they don't know what I'm up to_ , she thought as she reached the coliseum. She had left them for a reason. The last thing she wanted was to be found by them again, and try to explain herself. Many times she had asked herself why she left them. And time and time again, she would remind herself that it was because she felt responsible for what had happened to Able. It felt like his death was on her hands. So many programs had died because of her, and she couldn't deny that she had no right to continue dragging them down.

She looked at the imposing structure that made up Tron City's coliseum. The place was huge compared to Argon City's coliseum. Then again, that place had sprung up almost overnight. This coliseum was here long before Clu took over the Grid. Once, programs had used it as a way to test their skills in the games. Tron himself had held reign as the champion for many xilacycles until one program in particular took his place.

Inside the coliseum itself, Clu had redecorated the place. There were prison cells where programs were held before they awaited the final rule. Other spaces were used for floating glass platforms. Another had a light cycle grid where a game of chase or races were held. A shudder swept through Mira as she recalled waking up in one of those cells all those xilacycles ago. She could still picture Clu's triumphant grin as he looked down at her.

Once she had slipped inside one of the entrances undetected, the rest of her job was easy. Clu's soldiers were more concerned about the prisoners than anyone wandering down the halls. Clu himself had left Tron City a few cycles ago, which meant no curfew was in effect. That didn't mean he would keep his stronger enforcer here. Mira was all too aware of the present danger looming ahead. If she ran into Rinzler now, it would be the end of line.

Mira kept her eyes focused on the path ahead, to where the programs who were in the worst conditions were kept. These programs were condemned to deresolution under Clu's orders. Most of them had either broken curfew a few too many times, or had really gone out of their way to spite him. Whatever his reasons, it was wrong to derezz them.

Fortunately, that path was surprisingly the least guarded path. She would have thought for sure that Clu would keep this place secure from anyone who might try and rebel. She almost smirked as she tried to picture how shocked he would look every time she rescued a program. It was usually only one or two programs she could free at a time, but that was more than satisfying enough.

This time, however, was different. The moment she reached the holding cells was when Mira stopped in her tracks. One program in particular caught her attention. He lay sacked out on one side of the bench where programs tried to 'sleep'. Half of his face was covered in huge gashes. Cuts covered his arms and legs, and it looked as if he hadn't had a decent amount of energy in cycles. Mira chewed the bottom of her lip as shock and realization dawned over her. This was a program she hadn't expected to see again. Yet there he was, alive and… okay, he was barely alive.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that no guards were around. Mira wasn't about to let Clu hurt this program again. If she could free him without triggering an alarm, that would be best. Unfortunately, things never went as planned. The moment she had tapped into the code's security system was when an alarm blared throughout the coliseum.

"Security alert, proceed to execution hall immediately," the alarm sounded, and Mira could already hear the guards jumping to their posts.

She had to give them credit for reacting so quickly – but it meant she would have to react even faster. She had already begun teaching herself some of the best defensive strategies against these guards. By now, Mira was no longer going to let them push her like they used to xilacycles ago.

"Program, halt!" one of the guards shouted when they reached the prison. Mira already had the program in question slumped over her shoulder, and she spun around to face the guard who spoke. "The Rogue!"

"Well, it's good to know that I'm so popular," Mira muttered under her breath. The program she was holding suddenly began to stir, letting out a soft groan at the noise that surrounded them. "Now, why don't we make this nice and simple, and keep the fighting to a minimum?" she suggested.

The guard only started charging towards her. With a roll of her eyes, Mira gently placed the program she was holding down as carefully as she could. With the injuries that he suffered from, she didn't plan on making them worse. She moved faster than the guard thought possible, kicking him square in the chest before jabbing him a few times with lethal punches. Once she was finished, the guard slumped over and let out a choking cough.

"What – what did you do?" he groaned before passing out.

"Just a little insurance, in case you decide to attack," she replied before picking the program up again.

She silently thanked herself for learning how to knock out a program without derezzing them. It was a skill that few others knew about. Though the teaching process had been painfully slow, Mira eventually learned how to attack a program's pressure points so that it knocked them out without causing too much physical harm. The skill came in handy during incidents like this one. Derezzing programs had always been out of the question, and was only used as a last resort, if even that.

Carefully, she pulled out her light jet baton and rezzed it. More guards were on their way, and she didn't want to spend more time in here than she already had. Once she had pulled up, there was no turning back. The guards tried stopping her with light jets of their own, but Mira had gotten better at flying them. She flew so low that it made it impossible for them to give chase, until finally throwing them off her trail.

Once the guards were thrown off, Mira turned her light jet towards an old looking warehouse building. It was abandoned after Clu took over. Before, the place had been used as a storage facility for energy. Mira discovered that some of the crates still had energy within them, and she used that to her advantage when rescuing programs like this one. She landed outside the entrance and turned her light jet back into a baton before gently guiding the program into the warehouse.

She tried to move as quickly as possible while working on the program's worst injuries. The code was unstable, and Mira had to ensure that it didn't start collapsing without warning. She'd seen many programs suffer from those consequences. Luckily, he was strong enough to survive the worst injuries. Mira let out a sigh of relief as she realized that the worst of his injuries were already starting to heal. Once she had found the right codes and pieced them together, she grabbed a container of energy and prepared it for when he woke up. That in itself didn't take long, much to Mira's surprise.

"W-Where am I?" he asked after letting out a choking cough.

Mira didn't hesitate to hand him a glass of energy, which he took gratefully.

"You're in Tron City," she explained, making sure that her voice was disguised. "I found you in the coliseum and brought you here. You're lucky to be alive, with the injuries you had." The program looked at her warily. Mira suddenly felt very self-conscious as she realized he was probably trying to figure out who she was. Or how he had gotten to Tron City in the first place. "Do you remember any of what happened?"

The program rubbed the back of his head, wincing at what she assumed was a major headache he'd be suffering from for the next couple of microcycles. She'd suffered from numerous headaches herself when she lacked the energy necessary to survive.

"I remember rescuing my employees in Argon City, and an explosion after that… after that, everything's a blur."

Mira held back a sigh of relief as she stared at the floor thoughtfully.

"Whatever the reasons behind your miraculous survival, you should stay here until you make a full recovery. It might take a while for your system to fully reboot," she informed him.

Almost at once, Mira thought back to how everyone had reacted to the crane exploding. Mara and Zed had blamed the Renegades for what happened. Mira blamed herself for all of it. She still did, even if he was still alive. None of it should have happened in the first place.

"Can you at least tell me who you are?" he asked warily.

"My name is Shadow," she replied without hesitation. Hilocycles of practice taught her to use multiple names to keep programs from reaching conclusions she wasn't ready for. "Programs who see me on the streets call me the Rogue. But my real name is Shadow."

Able's eyebrows furrowed before he rested on the floor once again. Mira frowned as she imagined what he could have gotten himself into. She hadn't realized until that moment just how happy she was to see him alive again. Yet she also realized that it only increased her resolve to make sure Clu was thrown off his reign of terror.

 _This wouldn't have happened in the first place if he wasn't in power_ , she reminded herself angrily. She wasn't going to let Clu get away with this.

…

Clu's flagship made Tesler's throne ship tiny in comparison. Paige could only stare in disbelief as the ship slowly made its arrival. When word of Clu's arrival spread like wildfire among Tesler's army, everyone was put on high alert. This could be the perfect opportunity for the Renegade to show up and cause more trouble.

She checked the files on what she was supposed to do that cycle. Lately, General Tesler had been keeping her busy tracking down the Renegade with numerous leads. Those leads would usually end up being complete failures, but there were a few sudden encounters she'd had with him. The Renegade was stopping the black guard from capturing programs who were breaking curfew, which was in effect because of _his_ mistakes.

None of those programs would have to be arrested if it wasn't for the Renegade. Yet there were plenty of programs who were faithful to his cause. Paige scowled at the thought, wondering how anyone could blindly follow someone who was bent on spreading chaos throughout the Grid.

Paige double checked the files, eyes widening when she saw that Tesler wanted _her_ to be there for Clu's arrival. To her surprise, and disbelief, he wanted Pavel out of the picture. Pavel, one of his most loyal and stuck-up Commanders, was left out of meeting with Clu upon his arrival.

 _Something's up_ , she thought after narrowing her eyes. _Pavel wouldn't hesitate to turn in the Renegade, or blindly follow Clu's every order_.

She put the file back on her desk before making her way to the throne room, where General Tesler was already waiting. Clu's flagship was docking just as she arrived, and she was relieved to have gotten there on time.

"Sir, you wanted me to be here for Clu's arrival," she greeted General Tesler with a bow, resisting the urge to ask why she of all programs was requested to join him for this _momentous_ occasion.

"I did, for many reasons," General Tesler replied without looking at her. "You're more sensible than Pavel, and you keep a level head when it comes to fighting the Renegade. I want you to stick around and make sure that Clu's visit is as… _pleasant_ as possible."

Her eyes widened in surprise when General Tesler assigned her with this task. It would be an honor to serve under Clu. She had never met him in person, but she'd heard from reliable sources that he was very intimidating. He had a calming demeanor that made it almost impossible to read his emotions.

"It would be an honor, sir," Paige said, bowing to show her respect.

With General Tesler already under pressure from the Renegade, it only made sense that he would want to be on Clu's 'good' side. Paige didn't want to admit that she was nervous of where this would go, and how Clu would react to her. She knew that whatever happened, it was up to her to ensure that Clu was happy, and accounted for.

* * *

 **AN: Please let me know what you all thought of this :) Reviews are always welcome!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Beck rode his light cycle through the streets leading to Tron City. It had been a quiet ride for the most part. Recognizers didn't go on patrol on the highway, since programs were constantly on the move here. The highway was one of the few places that weren't swept by Recognizers since programs were constantly on the move. That gave Beck the perfect opportunity to think of his task ahead.

He had no idea who the Rogue was, or what he was like. Only through rumors was he able to calculate that the Rogue would only show up if someone was in danger. The rumors themselves hadn't even started until a xilacycle ago. Yet, the Rogue was already a popular program not only because they fought for others, but because they stood up against Clu. Once the Rogue began making a name for himself, Clu would see him as a target.

Beck already suspected that this program was against Clu's idea of perfection. That alone was one of the many reasons they needed to find him. If the Rogue was really against Clu, they would need all the help they could get.

Of course, it was Tron who sought out the Rogue in the first place amongst the chaos of Clu arriving in Argon City. The moment the alarm was triggered was when Tron began delving into research regarding the Rogue. He appeared out of nowhere, and was giving Clu a major headache.

Which left Beck with the task of searching for the Rogue before Clu decided to go after him. If he truly was against Clu and his ways, then he might prove a valuable asset to the Uprising. It was the only explanation Tron had in sending Beck after their newest target. That, and it gave him a chance to leave before Clu could make things worse for the residents of Argon City.

Eventually, he arrived at the entrance of Tron City with little trouble. And what he saw made his jaw gape open in amazement.

Tron City was like no other city he'd ever seen. Towering buildings surrounded him, with bright blue and white lights shining in the distance. Unlike Argon City, Tron City had kept it's original appearance. Beck could see that it was already widely populated with programs, which made his task all the more difficult.

Beck shook his head as he thought of how daunting this would be. The Rogue could be just about anyone in disguise. And finding him was next to impossible. But determination made him realize that no matter what, he would get this done.

 _Tron's depending on me to find him_ , he told himself. _I can't let him down, not again_.

Once Beck had reached his destination, he got off his light cycle and turned it back into a baton. He remembered what Mira had told him about the traffic in this city was like, and she wasn't kidding. One step was all it took for a light cycle to nearly knock him over. Beck scowled as he straightened up a little, realizing that programs were likely doing things they shouldn't with Clu gone for the moment.

He remembered what Tron had told him before leaving: "If you're looking for someone, Castor is the program to ask. He's always one step ahead of Clu."

Castor… Beck remembered Mira mentioning his name once or twice. She had mentioned that he was an eccentric program.

"Where can I find him?" he'd asked.

She never mentioned what the name of the club Castor owned was. He was beginning to regret not asking her more questions about her past. Mira didn't really like talking about it at the time they were getting to know each other, though. Not that Beck couldn't blame her. After what she went through, he understood why she was so reluctant to open up about her past.

"At the End of Line club. You'll find it in Tron City; you can't miss it."

 _That must be it_ , Beck thought as he looked at a huge needle-like tower standing straight up. The End of Line club stood out compared to all the other buildings, making it seem out of place. But programs were flocking to it. Beck wondered if this place was anything like the club in Argon City, which was always bustling with activity.

He decided to follow the crowd. As he did that, he thought of the program he was going to search for. The Rogue had a neon blue 'R' symbol on their chest, mimicking Tron's appearance in a way. The Rogue only showed up when programs were in trouble, or so the rumors claimed. When he got closer to the club, Beck could see ' _Wanted_ ' posters scattered throughout the city with the Rogue's masked figure on them.

"If you see this program, turn them in. They reign down chaos and spread malicious lies about our leader," he heard a soldier saying when programs stopped to ask who the Rogue was.

Beck let out a sigh of frustration as he headed for the elevator that led up to the main tower of the club. Programs were squeezing in at the last minute, making it feel cramped and awkward. Beck felt uncomfortable with so many programs standing around him. But as the elevator went up, he could already hear a melody playing in the background.

" **All the things that we've lost, Breaking up comes at a cost, I know I'll miss this mistake Every word I try to choose, Either way I'm gonna lose, Can't take the ache from heartbreak...** "

His eyes widened when he heard words mixed in with the music. Beautiful lyrics that caught everyone's attention the moment the doors slid open. As Beck followed the crowd out of the elevator, he could see that many programs were mesmerized by the music. Beck tried getting a good look at the booth where the DJ was, but it was too dark for him to make them out.

" **Where's the "good" in "goodbye"? Where's the "nice" in "nice try"? Where's the "us" in "trust" gone? Where's the "soul" in "soldier on"? Now I'm the "low" in "lonely", 'Cause I don't own you only I can take this mistake, But I can't take the ache from heartbreak...** "

"I wonder who the DJ is?" Beck asked to no one in particular, suddenly feeling a pang in the pit of his stomach.

The lyrics were haunting, and reminded him of how Mira and Paige had left him. He knew their departures were mostly his fault. Being the Renegade meant that he couldn't take too many risks with the people he cared about. Though, Paige left because she thought it was best for both of them, career-wise and life-wise.

"The club has never been busier, darlings!"

Beck froze at the sound of a program's voice call out to the crowd. He pushed his way through the crowd and saw a group of programs gathered around one very odd looking program. It didn't take Beck long to guess that this was Castor.

Just as Mira had described him, Castor was very eccentric looking, and sounding. His suit was white, with white hair and a gaudy looking staff. He probably held himself with high regards as someone very important to the Grid. All in all, Beck was a bit intimidated by his appearance.

He could already imagine the scenarios playing across his mind. If Castor was anything like Tron and Mira had warned him, this was going to be a long cycle. The only consolation he had was that the club was too busy for Castor to make a scene. Even he knew better than to draw too much attention to himself.

"Who's the DJ? Their music is so… hypnotic," one program asked as their head bobbed with the beat of the music.

He didn't miss the way the white-suited program's grin turned to a frown. Clearly, he wasn't in any hurry to give away secrets about his employees.

"That, my love, is something I cannot answer myself," he simply replied.

With that said and done, the program stood up and walked away from the couch, earning looks of confusion from those asking about his DJ. Beck frowned as he wondered just how he should approach Castor. Tron didn't really give him much advice on that part. Eventually, he decided to go for the direct approach.

"You're Castor, aren't you?" he asked after reaching the program in question.

Castor had swung his staff over his shoulder in a carefree way. Beck felt even more uncomfortable as he realized that this program had an air of confidence that reminded him too much of Cyrus. After that incident, Beck wasn't in any hurry to face another program like Cyrus.

"That depends on why you are looking for him," Castor replied as he turned around to face Beck. He flashed a brilliant smile that sent a shiver of unease through Beck. It was hard to keep a straight face when Castor just stared him down. "Indeed, I am the one and only Castor; host of parties and manager of any and all escapes you need, at your service." He added the last part with a bow, and Beck rose an eyebrow suspiciously. "And just who might _you_ be?"

"My name's Beck," he replied hesitantly. He thought he saw recognition light up in Castor's eyes, but it only lasted for a nanocycle. "And let's just say that I'm looking for someone calling themselves the Rogue."

Beck hadn't missed how everyone around them had fallen silent at the mention of the Rogue. He realized with a start that a few programs were glaring at him. Castor's expression suddenly turned from a look of calm to deadly serious.

"Indeed, many programs are looking for the Rogue," he eventually said. "This is a conversation best had behind closed doors."

He wasn't sure whether trusting Castor was a wise choice. Mira had taught him that trusting programs on the Grid was difficult. But he had to keep on a straight face as Castor led him up a set of stairs. He noticed that from here, he could see the DJ standing in their booth.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he saw that their face was covered in a mask. But they seemed to be enjoying themselves as they put on a different set of music with a more upbeat tone. Programs were dancing and laughing to the beat of the music, acting as if this was the best time they'd had in a long time.

Once they reached a large room with more decorations from the past, Beck realized that Castor was a very old program. He must have been around for almost as long as Tron was. An old bite was hovering on a stool, along with a few light cycle batons that looked like they were from the original system.

"Now, before we start, I would like to know how you knew of me?" Castor suddenly asked, turning to face the startled mechanic.

Beck had to think quickly of his response. Tron wouldn't want other programs to know he was alive unless he had told Beck otherwise. Castor would have likely used this information to his advantage, so Beck used a different alternative. He knew he would kick himself later for using her name, but he had no other choice.

"Mira," he replied.

Castor's eyes lit up once more at the mention of her name, and Beck mentally slapped himself for giving away such information.

"Ah, the little User from so many xilacycles ago!" he exclaimed. "She was quite a handful, that one. I do have to ask how you know of her?"

"We met a xilacycle ago," Beck explained warily. He winced as he remembered their first meeting. It was a wonder she had trusted him at all for the way he treated her. "She wasn't happy with our first encounter, but she warmed up to me… eventually."

"Indeed, Users are such strange creatures," Castor said thoughtfully. Beck didn't really want to talk about her more than he had to. Mira had left a hole in his heart when she left Argon City. She was different from any other program he had met. And he didn't want to admit that maybe, just maybe, he'd started developing feelings for her. "Now, the Rogue has been giving Clu a major headache over the last few cycles. He only appears when programs are in trouble, or close to derezzing. I'm sure you're aware of his healing abilities?"

Beck looked at Castor in surprise before shaking his head. He'd never heard of that rumor. Then again, he knew so little about the Rogue as it was.

"Some believe that the Rogue is a former medic who worked for Clu. Others believe the Rogue is an ISO, with unusual upgrades that were given to him by Flynn himself."

"But is any of it true?" Beck asked curiously. He wished he knew more about the Rogue and where he came from. Or if the Rogue was even a _he_.

"That's for you to find out, my friend," Castor replied confidently. "The only way you will find yourself meeting the Rogue is by putting yourself in danger."

"So… that's it?" Beck frowned as he realized what little information Castor had given him.

He should have known that not so many programs would know who the Rogue was.

"I believe it is," Castor told him. "Just remember what you are getting yourself into."

He simply nodded at that before taking a final sip of the energy that Castor had offered to him. With that final warning in mind, he headed out of the club to think of his next plan of action. Tron had told him to find information about the Rogue. But in order to do that, it felt as if he would have to meet the Rogue himself in person. It would also mean risking everything. Letting out a sigh, Beck realized this was about to get even more difficult than he'd hoped.

…

Mira chewed the bottom of her lip as she paced in the warehouse. Able was awake now, and he had been asking who she really was. He could always see right through her disguise. So she went to the last resort and knocked him out once again. She hated doing that, especially when she knew that he was only trying to help. Knocking him out meant that he couldn't keep pressing for further information. The more Able found out, the more likely he was to guess who she was.

"Your system isn't fully recovered," she had told him when he asked if he was allowed to leave. "Until then, you're stuck here."

"Just how long do you plan on keeping me captive?" Able demanded as he glared at her.

"I'm not keeping you captive," she retorted with a roll of her eyes and crossed her arms. "Would you stop acting like a bitbrain and relax? You'll never fully recover if you keep this up."

Able only scowled at that before doing as he was told. Once that was said and done, Mira decided to leave the warehouse, but not without making sure it was locked tight. Able was an older program, and his system would take at least a cycle or two to recover. She didn't want him returning to Argon without making sure that he wouldn't collapse in the process. Once she was finished getting ready, she headed back to her apartment where she needed time to think.

She had left the club later than usual because the DJ was running late. And she regretted staying late when she saw one familiar looking program arrive at the club. It felt like it had been many cycles since she last saw him. But seeing him sent a familiar pang in the pit of her stomach.

Mira tried pushing thoughts of him out of her mind. She had enough to worry about as it was. Between Able and making sure that no other programs suffered the same fate, her life was like a wild roller coaster ride. She just couldn't wait to get back to her apartment and throw herself onto the sofa before crashing for the night.

* * *

 **AN: Lyrics come from the song 'No Good in Goodbye' by the Script**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Clu's arrival had put everyone on edge as Paige kept her position by Tesler's side. It was a tense moment – she could actually see Pavel twitching nervously as Clu approached them. And he was intimidating. As Paige watched him curiously, she realized that Clu looked like a younger version of the Creator. She had never met him in person, but she knew enough to know what he looked like.

"Man, it's been a while since I last visited Argon," Clu said as he reached them. Paige stiffened when he looked in her direction. She could have sworn that she saw him smirking. Tesler was unaware though, as he tried to keep a straight face. "I trust that you've kept it in check during my arrival?"

"Yes, sir, of course," he replied without hesitation. "My commanders have ensured me that every program is kept under check, and following the laws."

"Excellent." Paige stiffened when Clu clasped a hand over Tesler's shoulder. "Now, let's get right down to the business of the Renegades. I've heard quite a few stories about them, mainly from my top General, Dyson."

That was enough to make Paige look down at the floor as unease crawled through her. The Renegades were menaces throughout Argon City. But lately, it had just been one Renegade wreaking havoc throughout the city. Paige wondered whatever happened to the second Renegade, who disappeared almost as quickly as the girl who was with Beck.

"The Renegade is nothing to worry about, sir," Tesler tried reassuring Clu, but the ruler of the Grid didn't look satisfied with that.

"There were two Renegades, weren't there?" Clu asked in a casual way that sent shivers through Paige.

She wasn't sure what made her feel so uneasy about Clu. There was just something about him that made her feel even more on edge than usual. Whereas Dyson was somewhat easier to read and to figure out, Clu was the complete opposite. He held a mask of calm that left her feeling edgy, and it took everything she had to maintain her composure. She knew if she crossed the line now, it wouldn't end well for everyone. Despite his eerily calm manner, Clu wouldn't hesitate to derezz anyone who crossed the line.

"Y-Yes, sir," Tesler replied. Paige looked at Tesler in disbelief, realizing that he was actually _stammering_. For one thing, Tesler never stammered in front of anyone. For another, she could see that he was actually nervous around Clu, just like everyone else. "Something came up, though. The second Renegade disappeared a few cycles ago."

That seemed to catch Clu's attention. Paige noticed with a start that his eyebrow raised in surprise. Did he know more about the Renegades than he was letting on? She shook her head and tried to clear the uneasy thoughts from her mind.

 _Clu wouldn't keep secrets from us unless they were necessary_ , she reminded herself.

"I want your commanders to sweep every part of the city," Clu ordered once the tense situation died down. "Ensure that the Renegade isn't just a random citizen hiding in the streets."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" Paige asked, her voice so quiet that it was barely a whisper.

Then her eyes widened in horror when she realized she had spoken against Clu. But to her surprise, and relief, he didn't punish her for it.

"Mark every program you interrogate," Clu replied. "Use your disk to mark them. It's a simple and easy way to see who is rebelling against us."

Paige visibly flinched at the thought of using her disk to mark every program she encountered. She didn't want them to think the Occupation was out to hurt everyone. That wasn't her job. But Clu's word was law, and she had no choice but to follow through on it. Of course, Pavel would look eager at the prospect of terrorizing innocent programs. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Paige and Pavel bowed before their leader and left the throne room. Now it was time to start a long shift on the streets. Paige wasn't looking forward to this.

…

Soft whiskers brushed against her skin as Mira stirred in her sleep. She held back a groan after realizing Rinzler was nuzzling her playfully. She sat up and smirked before rubbing between his ears gently. That was his favorite spot. Rinzler loved the affection she gave him, and it was nice to have a companion like him. Not for the first time, she found herself wondering how she had been able to survive for as long as she had without some kind of companion.

Mira thought back to what had happened the last cycle. Able was alive and recovering from his injuries. Soon, he could return to the garage in Argon. Hopefully that would make up for all the failures she had made over the last few cycles. She knew that she could never show her face around them again. Not after everything they had been through, and the way she had left him. She was about to grab a glass of energy when an alarm went off in her room.

She had the coliseum rigged in a way that would send her an alert if anyone new arrived in the games. And as she pulled up the screen that showed her the faces of Clu's latest captives, her face fell. She recognized one program in particular who was being led from the Recognizer. Her fists clenched as anger suddenly churned within her. Whatever this bitbrain idiot had done to get himself captured, she was not going to let Clu or his soldiers capture the Renegade.

Once she had replaced her original suit with the disguise she normally wore, she headed for the front door. Rinzler was running at her heels, which only made it that much more difficult. It was almost as if he knew that she was getting herself into trouble again. Rinzler had the nasty habit of blocking her path whenever she planned on leaving her apartment, especially after the alarm went off. Mira held back a sigh of frustration as she noticed he was using the same tactics once again.

"Easy, bud. It's best to stay here," she told him carefully. Rinzler just blinked at her with large reddish-orange eyes; a look she knew he was trying to convince her to stay. "I'll be back before the next cycle, I promise," she reassured him.

She hated leaving Rinzler alone for long periods of time. There was one moment where she had left him for a millicycle, only for her to return and find the place a mess. It was difficult to explain why it looked like this. Rinzler was always getting himself into trouble, something she was fully aware kittens always did. She'd tried finding ways of keeping the kitten distracted while she was gone. It had been difficult knowing that she needed to leave for work and to rescue programs from the coliseum.

This time though, she needed to make sure that he didn't get himself into trouble. If the Renegade was captured by Clu's soldiers, then she wouldn't want him recognizing Rinzler. Plus, odds were the _real_ Rinzler would likely be patrolling the coliseum. He was the last program Mira wanted to encounter.

After making sure that Rinzler didn't follow her out of the door, and grabbing whatever weapons were necessary for the task ahead, Mira wasted no time in reaching the coliseum in question.

…

Frustration swelled within Beck as he tossed the third soldier over his shoulder. This fight felt as if it had been happening for the last few cycle. Reality made him realize that this fight was far from over. More guards seemed to pour from the entrance into the floating arena. Beck narrowed his eyes as he restrained himself from derezzing them like other programs had. He knew he wouldn't have forgiven himself for derezzing them, despite what the crowd was clearly looking for.

This coliseum was like nothing he had ever seen. Compared to the coliseum in Argon, this was huge and impressive looking. Floating see-through boxes hovered above the fighting arena. Stands where programs were booing at him surrounded the floating boxes. Beck nearly rolled his eyes at the thought as he wondered how naive these programs could be. Knowing that they were looking for death was enough for him to realize how far gone they really were.

Unfortunately, one stupid move had led to another, which resulted in him getting captured by the black guard. This was where programs fought to the death. Beck had already witnessed two programs derezz right in front of him as they tried defending themselves. He knew that he would have been next if it wasn't for the training Tron had put him through. He was suddenly grateful that the security monitor had put him through intense training regimes, preparing him for moments like these.

To his relief, the bell suddenly blared as he knocked out his fifth program. He was already getting tired, and the lack of energy certainly didn't help. The crowd immediately started booing once Beck was pushed into the extensive hallways. Doubt clouded Beck's thoughts when he realized these programs were out for death. Were they really so far gone that they didn't care whether someone died?

"So, are there any chances I can get out of here the next cycle?" Beck asked, trying to keep himself calm as he was guided to what looked like a prison cell. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

The guards shoved him into a prison cell with their staff. He let out a startled yelp when the guard suddenly threw him into the cell.

"Visitor's accommodations, program," they said before the door slid close behind him.

Beck only rolled his eyes once the guard was gone and stood up. He tried looking for any escape route, but these walls were so high up and closed up that that task seemed impossible. A small bench where programs could either sleep or rest for the next round was at the back of the cell.

It wasn't until Beck got a closer look that he recoiled in shock from something that caught his attention. That something was on the floor and bench, dried from so many xilacycles ago. Blood. It stained the floor and bench from whoever had suffered such horrific injuries. And Beck was suddenly all too aware that only _Users_ bled. One User in particular was held in the same coliseum he was trapped in now, and suddenly, everything clicked.

 _This was where she was kept_ , he realized with horror. Mira hadn't been lying when she said that Clu used her for target practice. It made him realize just how vulnerable Users really were. When they were together, she had never seemed that way. She always seemed to find some way of hiding whatever pain she was in. Beck frowned at the thought as he began to wonder just how often she had been in pain, and he'd been too blind to notice.

Thoughts of Mira sent another pang of worry through Beck. She really was unique. She'd suffered through everything Clu could throw at her, yet she remained strong. Beck almost wished he could share that strength. She really wasn't like any other program he had met, and he realized just how much he missed her.

"What is that?"

Beck's thoughts were interrupted by one of the guards standing nearby. His eyes narrowed as he looked up to see the guards running across the roofs that were also see-through. It was most likely that Clu had designed them to keep an eye on his most prized captives. The programs who were also being held in their cells looked around with interest as the guards left their stations.

He turned around in time for an explosion to hit the coliseum; the force of it sent him flying into the wall. Panicked shouts could be heard all over the place as smoke filled the rooms. Beck quickly recovered from the shock and stood back up in time to find that he was no longer alone.

His eyes widened in surprise when he realized that all of the prison cell doors had opened, including his. The guards were only just recovering from the chaos when one of them suddenly collapsed. Standing behind the guard was a program Beck didn't expect to find so quickly.

"Are you the Rogue?" Beck asked as the program drew their disk and broke his handcuffs. The program didn't answer as he jabbed at the nearest guard that had gotten a little too close for comfort. Beck watched on in amazement as the program knocked the guard out with just a few quick punches. "How did you do that?"

"Would you shut up and fight?" the program demanded, using a disguise for their voice.

Beck rose an eyebrow at that, wondering why this program would need to keep their voice disguised for so long. They were likely a program that didn't want anyone recognizing their voice. And that only peeked his curiosity.

"Coliseum under attack. Releasing Rinzler now."

Both Beck and the program froze at the automated voice that boomed above the chaos.

 _Great, because this cycle couldn't get any worse_ , Beck thought with a roll of his eyes. He'd never had the privilege of meeting Rinzler in person, but everyone who had didn't usually live to tell the tale. The program who freed him paused for a moment, and Beck wondered if they were panicking now.

"Go, now, before this gets any worse!" he shouted.

Beck only glared at him and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Not if you plan on fighting Rinzler alone," he snapped.

This was definitely the Rogue. He could clearly make out the 'R' symbol on their chest. One other thing stood out though as the program drew out his light staff and gave one of the guards approaching them a good smack in the head. Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise when he recalled how many programs he knew using a light staff like that. As far as he was aware, Mira had been one of the most skilled opponents when it came to handling light staffs.

Rinzler was getting closer. Beck stiffened and reached for his disk instinctively. If Rinzler was like anything Mira had described, they were both in trouble. Even with Tron's training, Beck still doubted his own abilities in combat against one of Clu's best soldiers.

As he was finally able to see Rinzler in person, Beck stood up in confusion. He noticed the 'T' symbol on the program's chest, and he was suddenly second-guessing himself. Was this Tron? Or someone wearing Tron's symbol in disguise like he once did?

Rinzler threw his disk, and the Rogue ducked without hesitation. Beck managed to block the first throw, but Rinzler was faster than he expected. He was caught off guard when Rinzler reached them and kicked him square in the chest, hard. Beck let out a choking cough as he was sent reeling to the floor in pain from the blow. Just as he hit the floor, the Rogue threw a fist into Rinzler's mask; the punch was strong enough to break a piece off Rinzler's helmet.

"We need to go, now," Beck choked out as he struggled back to his feet.

With a disk in hand, Rinzler had grabbed hold of Beck and was pressing him firmly against the wall, disk close to his throat.

The Rogue seemed to agree with him, and tossed a taser in Rinzler's direction. Beck's teeth ground together as Rinzler pressed him harder against the wall, until a jolt of electricity surged through his body. Beck let out a sigh of relief once Rinzler released his grip on him and dropped to the floor.

"He won't be out for long," the Rogue informed him. Beck eyed him warily as the Rogue pulled out yet another baton (just how many was he able to carry with him at one time?) and turned it into a light jet. "Get on."

Beck didn't hesitate to jump on. The Rogue took off the moment Beck was secure, and they took off within nanocycles. Beck had to keep looking over his shoulder as the coliseum suddenly got smaller and smaller. He realized with a start just how close they both had been to derezzing.

An eerie silence followed as they headed towards what looked like the Outlands. The guards wouldn't follow them there. Beck learned a long time ago that they weren't equipped to follow them into the Outlands; a barren landscape. Unease swept through him as he wondered how many times the Rogue had done this. It was clear that they had enough experience to know that the guards couldn't follow them through the rough landscape that made up the Outlands.

"Of all the idiotic, reckless moves you could've made!" the Rogue snapped once they landed. "Why would you do something so stupid?"

"I needed some way to flush you out," Beck replied, trying to keep himself calm. "You're a hard program to get a hold of."

The Rogue didn't seem bothered by what he'd said. In fact, that only made him angrier.

"No thanks to your little game, you've risked everything!" The Rogue rounded on Beck, turning their light jet back into a baton as he flinched under their piercing stare.

"You're right, I was stupid and reckless," Beck retorted. Between fighting exhaustion and everything else, Beck was tired of being shouted at. The Rogue wasn't making things any easier by making him feel guilty for his mistakes. "But I did it because we need to talk, face-to-face."

"No. You've caused enough damage as it is," the Rogue scoffed as he started to turn and leave.

Beck grabbed hold of his hand, and in that split nanocycle, he regretted doing that.

The Rogue reacted faster than Beck thought possible, throwing him right over his shoulder with little to know trouble. The moment he hit the ground was when the Rogue took off on their light cycle, leaving Beck in the dust. Once the Rogue was gone, Beck was left wondering whether he'd made the right choices after all.

 _I shouldn't have pulled off that stunt_ , he thought bitterly. _Now he's never going to trust me_.

He shook his head at the thought, and realized that he had no way of getting back to Argon unless he reached Tron City. Those guards had taken his light cycle baton before he was thrown into the games. Beck scowled at the thought as he slowly made his way through the Outlands. This was not going to end well for him, especially when he got back to face Tron's wrath in the end.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Mira scowled as she returned to the warehouse. She didn't want to think of what would have happened had she left him there. But she was more frustrated with him than ever for putting his damned life at risk. After everything he'd worked for, he was willing to throw it all away.

 _He's stubborn_ , she thought bitterly. And now he was more than likely beginning to piece together the puzzles. She and the Rogue were one and the same, along with Shadow. Shaking her head at the thought, Mira opened the door to find Able already wide awake and alert.

"Sounds like there's a lot of trouble happening out there," he said as she arrived. "You wouldn't happen to be responsible for it, would you?"

Mira eyed him cautiously before shaking her head. He was the type of program who would be able to figure out that she was responsible for the Coliseum's most recent break-in. At least this time she had a valid reason for taking such risks. While she wasn't a stranger to doing so every few cycles, this time had been different.

 _Beck's going to get himself derezzed if he acts that rashly all the time_ , she rolled her eyes in annoyance. At least this time he was able to make it out alive, even with Rinzler on the loose. Knowing that they managed to hold off Rinzler for as long as they did meant they were both stronger than before. And that was oddly satisfying.

"Of course not. The only trouble I get myself into is making sure programs like you don't suffer from Clu's reign," she retorted before checking to make sure that he'd made a full recovery. It had been three cycles now since she first found him. And to her relief, it looked as if his system was fully responding to the code she'd pieced back together. "It looks like you're fully recovered, and free to leave any time you want."

Able rose an eyebrow in surprise when she said that. It was almost as if he expected her to keep him stuck in this warehouse. Most of the programs she rescued and healed were released within a few cycles after their recovery. She didn't try accepting offers when they asked if they could fight alongside her. The only thing she could do was encourage them to stay alive, and keep resisting Clu's orders.

"You're willing to let me go, just like that?" he asked.

"I'm not keeping you captive," she replied with another roll of her eyes. "Besides, you have a life of your own, don't you?"

Able's eyebrows furrowed as he thought of what she had said. Mira flinched as she realized he was reconsidering his option of going back to Argon. She didn't know what would happen to the programs at his garage if they didn't get their jobs back.

They already blamed the Renegades for Able's death. She had no doubts they blamed the Renegades for losing their jobs as well. Then again, from what she heard through the rumors, every program at the garage stood up for the Renegade when he fought against Pavel.

"I'm not sure how I ended up in Tron City, but it might be a good idea for me to stay here, for now," he sighed after giving it some thought.

"That's not a good idea," she retorted and crossed her arms. "You need to get back to your own city, where you belong."

She didn't miss the look Able was giving her. To her relief, he didn't argue. Instead, Able studied her seriously, and she suddenly felt very self conscious under his piercing stare. Not for the first time, Mira found herself looking down at the floor as she tried to avert his piercing gaze.

"Alright, I'll go back." Mira held back a sigh of relief when he said that. "Thank you, for taking the time to heal my wounds."

She couldn't help but smile slightly at that. Programs rarely thanked her for helping them recover from their injuries, but she suspected it was because they were too shocked that someone had helped them in the first place to remember. Either way, she wasn't in this for the praise.

"It's what I do," she replied with a shrug. "Here, take this with you. A friend of yours left it here in the city after an… incident he got himself into," she added after tossing Able a light cycle baton.

Able's eyes lit with recognition the moment he caught it.

It was Beck's light cycle baton. The soldiers at the coliseum had taken it away the moment he was taken by them, but Mira was able to find it. She hoped this made up for how harshly she had treated him at the coliseum. Even if he deserved a good yelling, that didn't mean she shouldn't have treated him with such hostility.

"I'll be sure to return it to him," Able reassured her before heading for the exit.

Mira watched as he left, suddenly aware of the fact that he was piecing together who she really was. Luckily, Able didn't say anything about it. To her surprise and relief, he left without another word and headed straight for the highway leading to Argon City.

She let out a sigh of relief once he was gone. The tension from earlier seemed to fade away as she leaned against a wall and crossed her arms. Beck's presence in Tron City left her wondering if Tron had somehow discovered her location. He once told her that her disk had a unique code to it, one that made it impossible for security programs to discover her. That was why neither he or Flynn were able to detect her presence before the Betrayal.

She shook her head at the thought and decided to head back to her apartment. It had been too long since she last left, and knowing her kitten, Rinzler, he was causing his own mischief. She didn't want programs questioning where he came from, or what he was. She had a difficult enough time keeping him from escaping. Either way, she was not looking forward to seeing what kind of mess Rinzler had gotten himself into this time.

…

"Sir, we've found no incidents as of yet while marking the citizens," Pavel reported as he and Paige returned from another agonizingly long shift. Paige was horrified with what she had done to the programs she ran into. Their expressions were full of terror when she was forced to 'mark' them as Clu had instructed. "What are we supposed to look for, when marking them?"

"I haven't told anyone about this, yet," Clu sighed as the door closed behind the two commanders. Paige suddenly felt uncomfortable again as she realized that Tesler wasn't with them. "Many xilacycles ago, a User was captured and taken to Tron City."

Paige's eyes widened at the mention of a User. She'd heard many stories about Users, and most of them weren't good. They were like the Creator, and would do anything in their power to modify the Grid to their liking. If there was one thing she knew about Users, it was that they were nothing more than trouble for the Grid.

"This User managed to escape execution, thanks to an ISO. I was so close to finishing the job when she jumped in. But recently, we've had reports of a User hiding in Argon City. That's why I'm here."

"How are we supposed to tell a User apart from a program?" Paige asked warily.

The fact that an _ISO_ had rescued the User only infuriated her. Memories of what had happened at the hospital suddenly came rushing back. If an ISO was responsible for letting the User escape, she wanted nothing more than to bring justice to both of them. Clu seemed to notice this, because he smirked and looked at her directly.

"That's why I want you to mark every program in the city," he told them. "Programs turn into a pile of cubes when they derezz. For Users, it's different. They _bleed_."

A shiver of unease ran through her when he said that. It almost sounded as if Clu enjoyed the word. She suddenly wondered if the User was anything like the Creator. Or why the User would choose to escape and hide in the Grid after what Clu likely put them through.

"We'll do what we can to capture them, sir," Pavel replied with a bow.

"Good, now why don't you guys take a few pectrocycles off? I need to have a little chat with Tesler."

Paige bowed as well before following Pavel out of the room. Her mind was still reeling with shock at the information Clu just shared with them. If a User was on the Grid, then why didn't Clu warn everyone? Users were almost as dangerous as ISOs, if not worse. Whatever his reasons, it must be important to keep from everyone. This User might be even more dangerous than the Creator himself.

…

Relief swept through Beck as he returned to Argon City. It felt like cycles had passed since he was last here. But the moment he arrived was when he found the apartment empty. Beck frowned as he wondered where everyone could be. He looked down at the table where everyone shared glasses of energy and noticed a note that Zed had left:

' _Everyone's at the garage, meet us there, Beck_. — Zed'

Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise at the mention of the garage. When Pavel fired everyone, it meant they couldn't go anywhere near their old workplace. So why would they suddenly decide to go back? Unless Mara was really planning a revolution against him. It wouldn't surprise Beck if that was what happened.

Shaking his head at the thought, he headed straight for the garage without using a light cycle. The soldiers back at the coliseum had taken away his only method of transportation. So Beck was forced to take the train all the way back to Argon.

Once he reached the garage, Beck noticed that there weren't as many guards posted at the entrance. Now he was _really_ curious as to what the heck was happening. As he reached the garage itself, Beck noticed that many of the former employees were gathered in a large circle. And someone hauntingly familiar was standing in the middle of that crowd. Beck's eyes widened in disbelief when he recognized the program talking.

"When I pried off the bombs, I made a jump into the sea before they exploded," the program explained as Beck got closer. "After that, everything was blurry. I remembered being found by Clu's soldiers, who decided to drag me all the way to the coliseum in Tron City. That's where I met the Rogue, who saved my life and healed my wounds."

"The Rogue did all of that?" Copper asked in amazement.

"I knew he was good, but I didn't think he was that good," Link added with a nod of approval.

"I wish we could've been there to see him break into the coliseum," Dash put in.

That was when Mara decided to notice Beck's presence, and he winced as he braced himself for an earful. But to his surprise, she looked happy.

"Beck, can you believe he's back?" she asked, her voice reminding him of the old days once more.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe," Beck admitted, rubbing the back of his head as said program eyed him knowingly. But his smile turned to a frown when he noticed the marks covering everyone's wrists, except for the program who spoke first. "What happened to your wrists?" Mara's smile immediately turned to a scowl, and Beck almost regretted asking that.

"Tesler declared that every program in Argon should be marked," Zed explained for her. "He said it's a way to keep track of everyone who lives in the city."

Beck's eyes widened in horror when Zed said that. He knew exactly why they were marking every program in the city. He was horrified to think that Tesler would be so cruel as to go this far to find Mira.

 _He knows she's a User_ , he thought bitterly. _But he won't find her here_.

His stomach churned at the thought. If Tesler somehow got a hold of Mira, he knew it wouldn't end well for anyone. It seemed as if everyone had the same ideal Clu had when it came to Users. They all believed having a User around was nothing but bad news for everyone.

"Beck, can I have a word with you, in my office?" Able asked once the meeting drew to an end.

Apparently, he had already taken back the garage while Beck was gone. Things had indeed started picking up for the employees at his garage, but Able was fully aware that there were other loose ends to tie.

A sense of dread swept through Beck as he followed Able into the office. He really wasn't sure how this would end. Able seemed fine enough. But something was clearly bothering him. The fact that Tesler had ordered his commanders to mark every program in Argon must have put him on edge.

"Look, before we get started, I just wanted to apologize for everything that's happened so far," Beck started, his mouth already running off as the door closed behind them.

Able only looked at him in grim amusement as he sat down and ordered him to sit as well.

"This isn't about what happened so far," Able informed him. "I want to know what happened to Mira." Beck stiffened at that, and suddenly, he wished a hole would open up and swallow him. Able rose an eyebrow when he noticed how tense Beck had become already. "So, I take it the news isn't good."

"She left about a xilacycle ago," Beck explained warily. "We haven't seen or heard from her ever since… I think she blamed herself for what happened to you, and everyone else at the garage."

He felt guilty himself for everything that had happened. There were times when he tried to imagine what their lives would be like if Mira chose to stay. He knew that it was pointless to keep dwelling on the past, especially since she was long-gone. Able's eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully as he realized the reason behind Mira's departure.

"After everything she's been through, it's easy to see why she'd blame herself," Able sighed as he leaned against the office chair.

Beck frowned at that, realizing that Able was right. Mira had been through the worst kind of torture he could imagine. Somehow, she'd survived. But it left her with both physical and mental scars. He couldn't imagine what sort of nightmares she had suffered from when she was finally rescued from the coliseum.

"So, what now?" he asked nervously.

"I've taken back the garage, which means you'll be getting back to work along with the others," Able replied with a shrug. "It also means no slacking off, at both of your jobs."

He nodded in agreement, fully aware of the promise he had made to Tron. As both the Renegade and a mechanic, his life was always hectic. He didn't really know any other way, though. After working so many cycles with Tron, it had become a habit to constantly keep himself busy.

For the first time in cycles, Beck felt a small spark of hope as Able left to inform the others of their work duties. Life would finally start looking up for them. And maybe, just maybe, he could move on with life himself. It was time to stop dwelling on the past and move forward.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

It was another long cycle of rescuing programs from the curfew before he was finally able to get some rest. He didn't realize until now just how exhausted he was when he crashed on the nearest sofa in the locker room. Copper and Link were talking about going to the club later on that cycle. Mara and Zed were working down on the main floor. Dash was in Able's office giving the latest reports of fixed vehicles. In all, it felt like a normal cycle at the garage.

It was almost like Able had never left them. Things were finally peaceful again, and Beck had to wonder how long that peace would last. Tron left him with little to know information about the Rogue, which only made him more curious about the program. He'd gone to Tron City himself to investigate when Beck returned empty-handed. He should have been angry with himself, but honestly, Beck was more relieved.

 _Our last encounter didn't end well_ , he reminded himself.

The Rogue was furious when he found Beck fighting in the coliseum. So, Beck had to assume that the Rogue knew who he was, or his alter ego. It left him feeling worried that other programs would find out as well. Besides, Tron was better at tracking programs down than he was. If anyone could find the Rogue and gather any intel on them, it was Tron.

So that left Beck with doing whatever he felt like when he wasn't working at the garage. It was so strange, not needing to follow Tron's every word. Beck frowned as he realized just how familiar he had gotten with following orders. It was almost ironic when he thought about it. During the earlier days of becoming the Renegade, he had been reluctant to follow orders and had less confidence in his ability. Times certainly had changed over the last xilacycle.

"Hey, Beck, there's someone here to see you." Beck flinched at the sound of Dash's voice. He turned to see his fellow mechanic standing in the locker room, a sly grin on his face. "She seemed pretty eager to have a 'little' chat."

Beck's eyes lit up at that, and Dash's grin grew wider. It couldn't be who he was thinking of. She left and would likely never return. So Beck was left with guessing who could possibly have taken their time to see him. He stood up and headed to the elevator that took him down to the main floor. What he saw next caught him completely off guard.

Paige was standing at the entrance of the garage, talking quietly to Mara and Zed. Both programs didn't seem afraid of her, though. Beck was surprised by this, considering Paige was probably one of the commanders who marked them. Maybe she had been gentle, and explained the real reason behind the situation. Whatever her reasons for being here, Beck was left feeling worried that he'd done something wrong again.

"Beck, I was wondering when you'd be back," Paige said as she greeted him warmly. Beck eyed her warily as she looked at him calmly. "I'm sorry for interrupting whatever it was you were doing. I just thought it would be nice to catch up."

"We'll just leave you two alone," Mara told them, pulling Zed away while he protested about wanting to see exactly what happened.

Beck only rolled his eyes once Zed was gone, knowing that he'd give the full scoop anyways once this was over. Zed was the kind of friend who loved hearing gossip around the garage. Especially when it came to whoever Beck happened to hang out with. He was just grateful that Mara saw the sense to drag Zed out of the conversation before it got anymore awkward than it was.

"Paige, you never want to have just a 'normal' conversation," Beck reminded her as they headed outside the garage. Paige only shrugged and leaned against the wall as they stood outside. "What's this really about?"

"I actually just wanted to…" Paige took a deep breath and rubbed the back of her head as she tried forming the right words, and that only made Beck all the more curious. Paige never stumbled on her words. She was always so sure of herself, and sought out perfection, like Clu. "Look, this isn't easy for me to say, because I actually mean what I say. So, I'm just going to get straight to the point. Would you like to hang out, again?"

Beck only stared at her in disbelief. After all these cycles, Paige had asked him out again. At first, he thought he should be angry for her returning like this. Especially after the way she had left him like that. Surprisingly, he wasn't angry. Going out with Paige might actually be a good distraction for him.

"Yeah, that sounds good," he replied after thinking about it.

Spending a night out with Paige actually sounded like a good idea. Especially since he wouldn't have any protective eyes watching him. For the first time in cycles, Beck was actually looking forward to hanging out with Paige again.

…

Another long cycle went by with little to no incidents. Mira was relieved, and worried about that. Something was up. Clu had left Tron City to spend some time in Argon after all the incidents from the Renegade. But that didn't mean programs weren't still suffering from his lack of presence. Mira had been working overtime to ensure that programs were recovered from their injuries or rescued from the coliseum.

Even so, she found enough time to work at the club when she wasn't using her alter-ego. It was oddly refreshing to get a break from all the trauma that some programs faced while encountering Clu's soldiers. She knew it wasn't healthy to keep pushing herself to the point of exhaustion. After living on her own for so long, Mira began to understand the limits she had as a User, and she tried pushing herself until there was no fight left in her.

Rinzler sat perched on her bed as she looked through the memories of her disk. She winced as she recalled her last encounter with Beck ending so horribly. He'd put himself in danger by getting captured by Clu's soldiers. To make matters worse, they ended up parting ways on a bad note. While Beck didn't know who she was at the time, it still left her feeling guilty.

 _I wish there was an easier way to do this_ , she thought sadly. She had left Argon City for a reason. Staying in one place for too long was dangerous. Programs were already beginning to question her appearance as she got older and a bit wiser with age. Knowledge of the Grid was what had given her the chance to survive for as long as she did. But being a User had more downsides than she wanted to admit out loud.

One of the many downsides to being a User meant that she grew with each passing cycle. Programs didn't seem to age the same way Users did. She knew she would have to leave within a couple of a xilacycles when her own appearance began changing once again.

"No one ever said this would be easy," she said to no one in particular.

Rinzler only mewed in response, blinking his large reddish-orange eyes as he looked at her. Another memory suddenly resurfaced, one that Mira would have preferred not to think of.

Images of the coliseum and her younger self reappeared. Mira found herself staring at the image of what she looked like after Clu had found her. Fresh wounds from a fight against the real Rinzler were obvious. Cuts and bruises from previous fights could also be seen, but the wounds delivered at the coliseum were the worse.

Her life would never be the same as it was when she was younger. She knew now that she would forever remain scarred, both mentally and physically. Clu was the reason behind this, and she hated him now more than ever for everything he had done to her.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," Mira sighed once she'd put her disk back in place.

She replaced her usual appearance with the disguise she used while out in the public. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to recognize her from the days in Argon. There were enough rumors of a User roaming around that city for her to think twice about using her old appearance. She knew that Clu had been looking for her, and if he ever found out that she had been living in Argon, there was no telling what he would do to those programs.

Once she was finished getting ready, Mira headed for the door and found the streets oddly quiet. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, leaving her wondering just what the heck was going on. Normally, Tron City was constantly bustling with activity. She had gotten used to the noises of trucks and light cycle driving right beside her apartment. She decided to shrug off the sudden unease and made her way towards the club.

That was when she realized something was wrong. Mira looked over her shoulder cautiously. She'd gotten used to constantly looking over her shoulder out of fear of being followed. One time, she'd almost gotten caught by gang members while on her way back to the apartment from work. It ended with the gang members losing the fight, but it also reminded Mira that she would never feel safe on her own.

A pair of hands suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of her. Mira reacted faster than she thought possible by spinning around and facing the attacker. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw a program dressed in all black, with only a few white circuits. And in that split nanocycle, she recognized the program who had ambushed her.

"We need to talk," he said in a grating voice that always made her skin crawl with unease.

"That's not going to happen. I'm already late for work," she retorted before turning around and heading back to the club in question.

Unfortunately, he was persistent. Mira flinched when she felt him grab hold of her arm, keeping her from getting any farther. She had to fight back the instinct to throw him over her shoulder. Tron wasn't a program who could easily be taken down.

"We need to talk, _now_ ," he insisted.

Mira only glared at him, and once again, she was thankful for the disguise she had. He could have seen right through the ruse, but he wasn't making a scene. Tron City was dangerous, and crawling with soldiers who wouldn't hesitate to capture them both.

 _This isn't going to end well_ , she thought as she realized how determined he was to interrogate her. Tron knew her well enough that he would see right through her. So she would have to be extra careful this time, and make sure that he didn't recognize her for who she _really_ was.

…

A fit of laughter erupted from Paige's lungs as she beat Beck at another light cycle race through the streets of Argon. He scowled in annoyance as he got off his light cycle and turned it back into a baton. She rarely acted this way around anyone, unless she really liked them. Beck was an exception to that rule.

"You really _do_ know how to have fun," he said in an accusing tone as they headed for their favorite spot.

A game of pool was definitely long overdue. Paige was gifted at it and often liked to show off her skills. She could still remember their last time spent at the gaming room. Unease swept through her as she thought of how she parted with Beck because she thought he was nothing more than a distraction. Now, she knew that was all a lie. He was a good friend, and someone she actually enjoyed spending time with.

"Do you think I just sit around and follow orders all cycle long?" she asked with a pouty expression, earning a laugh from Beck. "Though, it helps having someone who isn't as stuck-up as Pavel for a partner. Sometimes, I just can't stand being around him."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can't," Beck muttered under his breath as he grabbed a stick and prepared the game.

Paige was surprised herself that she had admitted that. Truthfully, she hated working alongside Pavel. Of all the programs working under Tesler's rule, Pavel was the worst. He had an arrogant attitude about him that would make her skin crawl. He was nothing more than a low-life coward.

The worst part was seeing him kiss up to Clu the whole time he was there. She had no doubt Pavel was looking for some kind of promotion, though those were rarely handed to Commanders unless they truly earned the title.

"So, are you planning on marking me like everyone else?" Beck's next question caught Paige off guard, and she cringed visibly.

She should have known he would ask that question, but she was hoping to avoid the subject all together. She hadn't made any plans to mark him like everyone else, but she knew that orders were orders. Clu or Tesler would eventually find out, and she would be forced to follow through with said orders.

"Beck, we weren't given much of a choice," she replied, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Clu's order is law. And if we don't comply, we get derezzed ourselves."

"That doesn't sound like much of a life," Beck said thoughtfully.

Paige bit the bottom of her lip as she prepared to fire at one of the targets on the table. She didn't like where this conversation was going, but she should have predicted that Beck would be curious. And now, it felt as if she _had_ to tell him the truth.

"I shouldn't even be telling you this," she sighed after hitting her intended targets with more force than she'd hoped. "Clu gave those orders for a reason. He warned us that a User is on the Grid, and living in Argon City, for whatever reasons."

She didn't miss the way Beck's eyes widened at the mention of a User.

"He said that the User was his prisoner before an ISO rescued her. An ISO! As if having a User on the Grid wasn't bad enough!" She scoffed at the idea, glaring at the table as Beck took his turn. "I'd be more than happy to turn her in for that reason alone."

Paige noticed that Beck had stiffened, and when he fired at his target, he ended up breaking the stick in the process.

"Yeah, but you don't know what that User went through while Clu had her," she heard him whisper.

"Why should I care what she's been through?" Paige demanded, her voice growing cold. She hated Users almost as much as she hated ISOs. "Users are evil, just like ISOs."

Paige thought back to what had happened at the hospital she worked at all those cycles ago. It was only thanks to Tesler that she had survived the ISO attack at all. Quorra and her friend deserved to die as much as the User did. Neither belonged on the Grid.

"Maybe you should try being a little more open-minded," Beck suggested, but his voice was so quiet that Paige wasn't sure if he'd spoken at all.

She shook her head at the thought. It was better not to think of what the User could do while on the loose. She realized that if the User had been on the loose for so many cycles, they could have easily destroyed the Grid in that time. So, why didn't they?

 _Probably because they don't know how capable they are_ , she thought bitterly. Once they had finished the first round, everything went a little more smoothly. Paige realized that maybe Beck was just trying to make her feel a little better about the situation she was in. Knowing that a User was on the Grid might change his mind, too. Maybe he would be willing to join the Occupation once he found out the truth.

"You know, I think this is the most fun I've had in cycles," Paige sighed once they'd left the building. It was getting close to curfew, and she'd rather not be the program to arrest Beck for being out. "Do you wanna do this again?"

"Yeah, that actually sounds like a good idea," Beck agreed with her. "Next time, I _will_ beat you in a light cycle race."

"I'd like to see you try!" Paige laughed as she punched him lightly in the arm. "I'll see you next cycle."

Paige smiled once he was gone and headed back for the garage. It was the first time in many, many cycles that she had this much fun. Perhaps it was just the stress of work, but Paige actually felt better after hanging out with Beck. And maybe eventually, they could become more than just friends as she had hoped.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Interrogations were extremely annoying.

Mira had learned this the hard way as she found herself answering question after question. She'd answered straight-forward, using responses that would throw the interrogator off. And he was getting frustrated. She could see just by the movements he made that he wasn't pleased with her responses. While they were subtle signs, it was enough of a reminder that he had little patience for her responses. Which were about as minimal as they could get.

She knew that the only reason Tron would have started questioning her was because he found out about the Rogue. He'd already tried sending Beck to find answers, and when that didn't work, he went to investigate himself. Mira almost smirked at the thought when she realized that he was beginning to understand that the Rogue was a bigger threat than he first assumed. That was the goal she had been aiming for since she started this thankless job. Maybe now that Tron had been worried about the Rogue and what he was doing, she would catch Clu's attention as well.

 _It also means Clu is going to step up his game once he gets back_ , Mira reminded herself silently.

The Rogue had technically only begun making a name for himself for the last few hilocycles. Clu didn't bother stepping up his security until the first couple of break-ins to his coliseum. Now that he understood that the Rogue was a threat not to be underestimated, things would be different. He had been setting up more guards around the perimeter of the coliseum. But she had learned how to use the underground network of tunnels that led to various locations underneath the coliseum. Mira had the map practically memorized now, and Clu couldn't pinpoint the exact location where she would sneak in next.

"How long have you been fighting against the Occupation?" was the last question he asked before leaving it at that.

"For a long time," she replied, keeping her answer short and to the point. It was also vague enough to throw him off. She could already picture him pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to put together who she really was. "Look bud, you can ask all the questions you want, but it isn't going to get you anywhere. I've been at this long enough to know what questions to answer, and what questions to avoid. So you might as well give up."

It would've been hilarious if she could see his reaction. But Tron was smart enough to hide his face in the wake of what he thought was a stranger. Once again, she was thankful he couldn't track her down with her disk. He once said that her disk had a strange code that blocked any attempts at tracking her down. Though she never figured out what had led to him not being able to scan her disk, she hadn't complained about it. Most programs would have dreamed of having such abilities, especially if it meant avoiding getting captured by Clu.

She took full advantage of the fact that he couldn't scan her code. Knowing that much gave her the chance to slip from city to city without being detected. And that only seemed to aggravate Tron. He hated not being able to scan a program's disk, especially given his status as a security monitor.

"This isn't over," he growled and looked at her pointedly. Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that. They'd been stuck in the warehouse for what felt like cycles. And she was getting tired of this nonstop questioning. She knew that it was just a tactic he was using to get the better of her. "Your actions have consequences. You're an enemy of the law, a wanted fugitive. Do you really think I'd let you go that easily?"

She shrugged it off as if it didn't matter. She was already bored enough as it was with these constant questions. Not to mention she was running late for work. Castor might not have chewed her out for running late, but she preferred being diligent. Xilacycles of watching other programs work taught her that being on time was one of the more important aspects of life on her own. Besides, she also wanted to slip away without Tron getting to know her better. She knew he would jump to conclusions if he continued spending more time with her.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time I was put on Clu's most wanted list," she muttered crossly. At least that was a truthful answer. Clu wanted her for most than just the crimes she committed. She could already imagine the long laundry list of reasons Clu wanted her captured, and none of those reasons were pretty. "You know, I've got better things to do than sit around and listen to you gripe. Castor's going to chew me out for being late."

Tron tilted his head curiously to one side. He must have known who Castor was. As an old-time program who lived on the Grid long before the Betrayal, Tron knew just about everyone. She wondered for a moment if Beck had told Tron about that part of her past. A small spark of fear surged through her at the thought. And she was almost certain he had figured her out, when he said something entirely different that caught her off guard.

"Fine. We're done here."

Mira eyed him cautiously before standing up. She wasn't expecting Tron to give up so easily. Especially when it came to finding out exactly what he needed to know. He was the kind of program who would continue asking questions until the victim either gave in or dropped over from exhaustion. Tron rarely gave up. Once he had his mind set on something, he usually pulled through until the bitter end. She had long-since learned that it was best to avoid getting caught in his usual tirades.

"You know, you aren't like other black guards," she murmured thoughtfully.

One thing was certain, she knew that this was far from over. Tron would find some way to keep an eye on her now that he knew the Rogue was willing to talk, even if it was for just a few microcycles. With that thought in mind, Tron left the warehouse and her behind.

Mira let out a sigh of relief once he was gone. Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't nearly as tense as she expected. Tron made things as straight-forward as he could without throwing her in a loop. She suspected he was just trying to make her feel more at ease. Whatever his reasons, she was just thankful it was over.

With Tron gone, Mira thought of what he had said about the Uprising and everything else. Argon City was a mess. Clu was marking programs to find out whether they were a User in hiding. Mira had learned so much in just a cycle through scanning the files on Argon. And she wasn't happy with her recent discovery. Clu was fully aware of her presence in Argon, which meant he didn't know she had left.

 _I could use that to my advantage_ , she thought. She was going to pay Argon a visit. But this time, it would be under a disguise as the Rogue. If anyone could convince Clu that it was time to leave, it was her. And this time, no one was there to hold her back.

…

Beck smirked as he thought of how much Paige had opened up to him over the last couple of cycles. She was warm, kind and funny. Unlike Mira, she actually trusted him enough to tell him about Users and ISOs being such a problem with her. Yet what she said the other cycle reminded him of what Mira once told him.

"Eventually, they will betray me."

She'd said that with such confidence, that it was almost like it had already happened. Now Beck understood what she meant by it. Paige would have probably turned her in nanocycles. He wondered if he would have done the same thing had they just met, and she told him the truth. The thought made him frown. No wonder she didn't trust him when they first met. Heck, it was a wonder she'd opened up at all.

"We're going to the club later on," Mara said as she and Zed joined Beck in the main room. He was just finishing a light cycle when they approached him. "Do you wanna join us?"

Mara's attitude had changed completely when Able reappeared. It was almost as if the fact that Able was alive had given Mara another reason to be happy again. Whatever her reasons, Beck was just happy she didn't take her frustration out on him all that much.

"Sorry, I've already made plans for this cycle," Beck replied, and Zed smirked knowingly.

He hadn't told anyone other than Zed about his date with Paige and how well it went. Apparently though, word had spread. Mara's eyes lit with their usual mischief as she nudged Zed playfully.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do," she said in a sing-song voice. "Maybe you can have Paige tag along. I'm sure she'd enjoy the club too on a day off."

Once Mara had said that, an idea suddenly raced through Beck's mind. Paige would probably love to just spend the day goofing off, like any other program. Maybe this would be an even better way of getting to know each other as well. They never really had the chance to actually do that, despite the one-time date they went on cycles ago. And it would also give him a chance to spend some time with his friends as well, which was a bonus in itself.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," he told her.

Mara beamed with happiness before she and Zed ran out of the garage, waving goodbye in the process. Beck only shook his head in amusement once she was gone. How could she have changed so quickly in just that short amount of time? It was like Mara had changed into a different program over the cycle. He knew that Able's miraculous survival had something to do with it. Ever he'd returned to take over the garage, it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

It took Beck a few more microcycles to finish the light cycle before he got the gears to start running again. Once he was finished with his work load, he turned towards the office where Able was waiting. He wasn't expecting to find someone else in the office as well when he arrived. Or that someone else to be Tron.

"You can't possibly be serious?" Able said as Beck approached the room. "Getting him involved with the Rogue is pure suicide, and you know it."

"There's more to the Rogue than we both realized," Tron replied, sounding frustrated as usual. "The mask is just a ruse. They disguise their voice and appearance while out in public. I want to know why, and who the Rogue really is."

"You don't think it's _her_ , do you?" Beck stiffened when Able asked that, and he immediately knew who Able was referring to.

"I wouldn't be surprised." A pause followed, and Beck could have sworn he saw Able raise an eyebrow in concern as he peered around the corner. He didn't want to be caught just yet. "I couldn't scan his disk. Something is blocking it, just like hers did."

"Tron, if she didn't want to be caught, there's probably a good reason for it," Able sighed. "None of us really know what she's been through."

 _But I do_ , Beck reminded himself. Mira had told him everything by showing the contents on her disk. She trusted him enough to tell her past. All of a sudden, he felt like a horrible friend for not treating her better. Guilt gnawed at him as he thought of the many times when he'd flirted with Paige around her. Or when he'd ignored her presence entirely. Mira had deserved better treatment, especially from someone she had trusted. He heard Tron say something else, but it was barely audible.

"Do you really think it's a good idea, dragging her back here against her will?" Able asked in a deadly serious tone. "She didn't trust you much to begin with."

That did it. Beck had to leave before he heard anything else. Mira didn't trust Tron for a good reason, or anyone else for that matter. It was a wonder she had stayed in Argon for as long as she did. She never really had any reasons to stay in the first place. It was only thanks to Tron convincing her that she stayed as long as she had. Now that she was gone, Beck knew it was time for him to move on.

He tried to cast the dark thoughts away as he headed for the garage's entrance. To his surprise, and relief, Paige was already there waiting for him. She smiled as he approached her, a light cycle already rezzed and ready for yet another race.

"Hey," she said once he reached her. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

Her eyes narrowed in concern as she studied his face, and Beck realized with a start that he probably looked terrible after hearing that news. Truthfully, he felt incredibly guilty over everything that had happened between them. A small part of him knew that he should have fought harder to prevent Mira from leaving. And he knew that Tron likely blamed him as well as Cyrus for her departure.

"I'll be fine once I've had some energy," he reassured her with a grin. "How about we have a rematch to the club?"

Paige's eyes lit up before he turned his baton into a light cycle and hopped on. Once they were both ready, they started swerving in and out of traffic just to reach their destination. Beck was just a few feet ahead of Paige when she suddenly surged forward, catching him off guard.

"Round two goes to Paige!" she exclaimed once they reached the club.

"How'd you do that?" Beck asked as they got off their light cycles and turned them back into batons.

Paige only flashed a charming smile at him. Despite how tense he had been earlier, he couldn't help but return the gesture. He hadn't realized until that moment just how different she was when she wasn't on duty.

"It's a trade secret, but if you're willing to spend some more time with me, I might share it with you," she replied cheekily.

Beck resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that. As he followed Paige into the club, he noticed how tense everyone was in her presence. Many of the programs inside the club wore the marks of Clu's orders. Some of them looked freshly done, and Beck felt his stomach churn with anxiety.

"Over here!" Mara waved at them, and Beck let out a sigh of relief he'd been holding. "Well, it's good to see Beck finally with someone after all these cycles," she said once they reached the booth.

Paige sat beside Beck while Zed and Mara sat side-by-side. Though, the moment Mara brought that up was when Paige tried looking away out of sheer embarrassment. Beck just rolled his eyes in annoyance at their persistence. He was grateful for a temporary distraction, though. Anything to get his mind off of what Able and Tron had been talking about was better than nothing.

"Yeah, he's been so depressed lately since his friend left," Zed added with a sly look. "Whatever happened to her, anyways?"

Beck's smile turned to a frown, and Mara tried to intervene with Zed, but he insisted on knowing the truth behind Mira's disappearance. Paige looked genuinely curious as well.

"It's hard to explain," he sighed and looked down at the table, thankful for the music blaring around them. "She didn't trust anyone for so long, and blamed herself for everything that happened to us. She couldn't stay in one place for too long without trouble soon following."

"Something really bad must have happened to her to make her feel that way," Paige said thoughtfully.

 _You have no idea_ , Beck thought warily. He didn't want to risk giving away information that Paige could use against the Renegade.

"She was nice, once I got to know her," he went on. He smiled as a memory of her showing him her favorite spot resurfaced. "She wasn't like any other program I'd ever met. And despite what happened to her, she stayed strong."

"It sounds like you were close," Paige murmured, and Beck flinched at the way she looked at him.

"We were what you could call partners," he corrected her.

To his relief, they left it at that, and went on talking about how their cycle had gone. Paige was quiet throughout the whole conversation. Beck noticed the subtle change when he mentioned Mira. Did she think he still had feelings for her? Mira had left so long ago, that it was almost impossible to tell whether he did. Besides, that was all in the past. And sometimes, it was better to keep the past buried. Even so, that hadn't helped bury the guilt that suddenly crashed over him. He knew in the end that she had been partly right about not being able to trust anyone. And he was partly to blame for her lack of trust in anyone.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Finding a place for Rinzler to stay hidden was the difficult part of being on her own. Mira didn't realize just how difficult that was until she started making contraptions to keep him in. The first attempt hadn't ended well, with the boxy walls collapsing due to weight issues. The second attempt was just as pathetic, since Rinzler was just able to leap out of the supposed container. Eventually, Mira was able to design a container that kept him inside and provided enough energy to keep him going while she was gone. She knew that Rinzler would likely find another way of escaping from the container, but for now, it was the next best thing.

While she was doing this, Rinzler had found something in the distance that made his fur stand on end with fear. Mira immediately reached for her disk and activated it, until she saw what Rinzler was looking at. Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the remains of a Super Recognizer; the same one Dyson had all those programs work on cycles ago. As Mira approached the remains of said ship, she saw that most of it was salvaged by Clu's soldiers.

Bits and pieces stood out here and there in the debris. She could see where the extensive damage had caused code to malfunction where it crashed. Any lines of energy that had been used to keep it functioning properly had also been destroyed in the crash. As far as Mira could tell from the remains, most of it was inoperable.

But something in the rubble stood out to her. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed the object sticking out despite the debris and dust that coated most of the area. Snow from a previous storm and rain had washed away any evidence of derezzed programs. But the disk was something that left her shivering with unease as she headed in the object's direction.

A disk. Mira studied the object warily, wondering whose disk it could be. As she got closer, Rinzler looked even more uneasy. Whatever pixels were left from the weather crunched under her feet; a grim reminder that many programs had died while operating this huge Recognizer. She picked the disk up carefully, but it activated without her meaning to. The moment it did was when she regretted investigating in the first place.

"Clu demands your capture!"

That was Cutler's voice. She recognized it anywhere, and his words sent shivers of fear through her. Cutler was an old friend of hers, someone she had met many, many cycles ago. While he hadn't recognized her when she and Beck were taken to the games, it was still good to see him alive and well.

She watched on with horror as the scene unfolded: Cutler had stumbled backwards as the hulking object flew above Argon City. Now, he was dangling down at a pool of pure energy that must have fueled the ship. Mira held her breath as Beck tried desperately to reach him. The repurposing was taking over, though. An eerie silence followed as Cutler let go of the railing, falling into the pool of energy. Mira closed her eyes as she realized what would happen next.

Another good program was dead because of Clu. Her fists clenched with fury as she thought of everything Clu had taken away from her. Her freedom. Her childhood. He took _everything_. Every ounce of emotion she had been trying to keep buried suddenly came rushing back in that moment. She knew that Clu had likely repurposed Cutler because he was close to Beck, and because he tried standing up for the revolution.

"He's not going to get away with this," she vowed. "Your fight with the ISO war won't be forgotten, Cutler."

Rinzler only looked at her in concern as she placed him in the makeshift cage. The little kitten would more than likely find a way out of his makeshift cage, but it was better than nothing. Once she was finished putting on her disguise, Mira headed straight for Argon Square. It was the most populated part of the city, and it would receive the most attention. She had no doubt that once word slipped out about the free code and the choice in words she had for Clu, there would be chaos.

Once she had reached the city, a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. She already knew exactly what she would do this cycle. Clu was in for a nasty surprise when he showed up here. If her hunch was right, which it usually was, he'd be here in the next few microcycles. She thought about targeting Tesler's ship, but that would be too obvious, and risky. Too many guards posted around the ship meant that she was more likely to get caught. So this was her safest bet.

The moment she reached Argon Square was when she started working on the free code that Mara and the Jolly Tricksters once used to harass Tesler. This time, she had a more meaningful reason behind using it. Programs who walked along were oblivious to her attention as she went to work. Light lines and circuits began to appear all over the screens of Argon Square. Nanocycles passed before the _real_ show began.

Mira took a step back and watched as her handy work came to life on the screens. The words that were brilliant shades of colors were plainly obvious. Programs stopped dead in their tracks and gaped at the screens in shock. Even they knew better than to use such harsh words against the tyrant. For fear of getting derezzed or captured by the guards, they were usually silent. But Mira didn't plan on remaining that way. They deserved to have their voices heard.

"What is that?" one program asked as he gawked at the image in amazement.

" _Clu Kills_ , who wrote that?"

Now for the real fun. Mira rolled her eyes as a group of guards had arrived, ruining the moment. She almost laughed when the guards looked around in confusion as more of the same words, along with several others, appeared across the screens. One had even replaced the wanted poster with an image of Clu and the words ' _Real Terrorist_ ' appeared instead. Mira couldn't hide the smirk that followed as she watched the chaos ensue. The guards who had been staring at the screens were almost too stunned to do anything.

"I want whoever did this caught and killed!"

She froze at the sound of Pavel's voice. The commander was standing right between Tesler and Paige. Both looked appalled at what they just witnessed, and it made the whole thing all the more hilarious. Mira had to keep herself from laughing out loud, otherwise they'd know she was a suspect. The last thing she needed or wanted was for anyone to figure out that she had been the one behind such scrutiny. She was grateful she stuck around long enough to see the looks on their faces, though. That made the whole task of sneaking around and rewriting code worth the risk.

"Sir, whoever wrote this is likely long gone," one of the guards said.

And that was when chaos followed. Mira knew full well that Tesler wouldn't tolerate such behavior, especially when Clu was still in the city. She could only pity the guard as a light staff was driven into his chest, derezzing him on contact. The rest of the guards didn't argue this time.

"It's the Rogue, he's the one behind this!"

Mira stiffened at the sound of Paige's voice. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Tesler's soldiers reacted almost immediately.

Without another word, Mira made a run for it, turning her baton into a light cycle as she pushed her way through the crowd. Paige and the other guards tried giving chase as Mira swerved in and out of traffic. One thing she had gotten good at was learning to avoid the soldiers. That meant using tricky maneuvers that most programs would cringe at.

"Give up already!" Paige shouted as she kept up with Mira. "You're only making things worse for yourself, as well as everyone else!"

It was difficult not to spit something far worse back. Paige was really only doing what she thought was best. Unfortunately, that meant she was working for the enemy. Paige's determination to bring down the Renegade and the Rogue was what annoyed her the most. Though she did secretly admire the commander's willingness to keep pushing forward.

Mira had been able to keep her distance from Paige, up until now. Something was thrown in her direction, and her light cycle suddenly turned back into a baton. She stifled a gasp of surprise when her light cycle baton went skidding along the street as well and out of reach.

 _Great, what in the Users name just happened_? Mira held back a groan of pain as she collided on the street. Paige caught up with her in nanocycles, along with the rest of the black guard.

"And this is what happens when you disobey the law," Paige said cheekily. "I can't wait to see the look on Clu's face when he realizes I captured the Rogue."

"You think I'm just going to let you catch me that easily?" Mira asked, her voice churning with outrage as she struggled to stand up. Paige didn't seem to notice as the guards tried pinning Mira down. She threw them off with ease before rounding on the commander, whose eyes widened in disbelief when she kicked her off her light cycle. "I've been through enough hell in my life to know every escape route, and you've just opened one up for me."

Paige wasn't given a chance to ask what Mira meant by that when she suddenly punched her three times in different places. The commander gasped in surprise as she crumpled to the ground, much in the same position as her comrades.

"Thanks for the free light cycle."

…

Paige let out a groan of pain when the Rogue left her and the other guards stranded. But in the wake of it, she noticed something that caught her attention right away. The Rogue wasn't careful enough to conceal something very important. Something that Clu could use later on.

…

"Going somewhere?" The Rogue flinched at the sound of Beck's voice as he caught up with him. He'd managed to track the Rogue down after the chaos in Argon Square. Though he had to admit, even he was impressed to find all the signs covered in words of scrutiny against Clu. He almost wished he could have thought of that. "Why don't you pull over before I make you?"

"I'd like to see you try, Renegade," the Rogue snapped.

His light cycle was slower than Beck remembered. He narrowed his eyes when he recalled the fact that the Rogue had stolen Paige's light cycle baton. After watching that fight break out, Beck was even more determined to find out who the Rogue was, and how he was able to knock those guards out without even lifting his disk.

There weren't too many other programs who were capable of knocking an enemy out with so much ease. He'd seen those moves before back at the coliseum. Whoever the Rogue was, their fighting skills would be more beneficial to the Uprising than they realized. The only thing he needed now was to try and convince them that joining the Uprising was what they needed. Though, Beck was still skeptical over the fact that the Rogue would ever be willing to join the Uprising.

"Look, can we just talk, peacefully?"

He tried using a different tactic, one that wouldn't hopefully scare the Rogue away. To his surprise, the Rogue slowed down a little at that. Beck held back a sigh of relief as he finally caught up with the Rogue.

That was when he was able to get a good look at the Rogue for the first time. Scars were visible beneath patches of code that the Rogue had tried hiding. Even with all the patchwork and medical treatments on the Grid, there was no way the Rogue could hide all of those scars.

"I don't need your help. Now why don't you go back to whatever it is Renegades do," the Rogue snapped after noticing he was staring.

"I wasn't here to offer help," Beck reassured him. He was getting tired of this program's attitude. But at least the Rogue was willing to have a conversation with him, so maybe he was making progress. "I'm here to ask if you're willing to join the Uprising."

"That wasn't exactly a question," the Rogue said thoughtfully. For a moment, Beck thought he could hear traces of a female program in the Rogue's voice. He realized with a start that the Rogue was actually a _she_. "Look, I'm fighting my own battle against Clu. The last thing I want is to get involved with your _mess_."

Without warning, she pulled ahead, and left Beck in the dust once again. He pulled on the breaks and stared off in the direction she went. The Rogue was a female. And on top of it, she was skilled not only in fighting, but riding a light cycle as well. Beck had no doubt she had given Paige a taste of her own medicine. He almost grimaced at the thought. If the Rogue truly was as dangerous as everyone claimed, maybe it was better she not join the Uprising.

 _She's not going to give in so easily_ , Beck realized after sighing in frustration. The Rogue was complicated, and probably a program that he would never fully understand. He'd tried getting on her good graces on more than one occasion. He knew that if the Rogue wasn't willing to join the Uprising, she posed a threat to it. And that meant Tron would have his hands full. Either way, Tron was losing the battle if he thought he could get the Rogue on their side.

Yet, that didn't stop him from thinking back on all the scars that covered her body. It was clear that she had suffered more than anyone could imagine. And maybe that was why she was so determined to help programs who met the same fate. Whatever the case, Beck had no doubt that the Rogue was going to make things much more difficult for everyone.

…

It didn't take Paige long to recover and return to the ship empty-handed. She was angry with herself for getting so distracted. The guards had captured the Rogue, but he managed to escape with so much ease that it was laughable. Obviously, they had underestimated the Rogue. Paige wasn't in any hurry to make the same mistake again. After the feeling of getting the wind knocked out of her lungs, she knew that she was in for an earful.

"Paige, you're back empty-handed," Tesler said in an accusing tone the moment she reached the throne room.

Paige resisted the urge to roll her eyes and bowed respectfully, once again feeling ashamed for letting the Rogue slip away so easily. She was angrier with herself for letting the Rogue slip away than anything else. It should have been easier with their light cycle malfunctioning. Of course, life never worked out the way she wanted. The Rogue obviously had other tricks up their sleeve. He'd taken them by surprise when he was able to fight off all the guards at once, and with such ease.

"Forgive me, sir. The Rogue managed to gain the upper hand, even when we turned their light cycle back into a baton," she explained. "But that doesn't mean we didn't find any interesting clues to who, or _what_ the Rogue is."

Paige didn't miss the look of surprise Tesler gave her. But Clu's eyes lit up with interest as she described what the soldiers had discovered on the streets where the Rogue collided into. And then his surprise turned to a look that sent shivers of unease through Paige.

"My dear Paige, what you've just discovered is crucial in finding the User," Clu told her when she looked at him in confusion.

 _That was blood_? Paige thought with realization. If she had known that, she would've tried even harder to take the Rogue down personally. She hadn't realized at the time that the Rogue was actually a User of all things. And that only fueled the anger she felt earlier. She should have known better than to let the Rogue slip away so easily.

"Sir, please forgive me for letting the Rogue escape so easily," Paige apologized with another respectful bow. "I would like another chance at capturing the Rogue. Consider it a personal request."

"You have one more chance, Paige. If you fail to comply, then I'll take over and catch the Rogue myself," Clu replied.

Paige's eyes lit up at that, and she realized that this was Clu's way of making sure she got a second chance at avenging herself. She was going to make sure the Rogue paid for this. One way or another, she'd make sure the Rogue was captured by the end of the cycle.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Deadly silence filled the room as Tron observed Beck's memories from his disk. They had agreed to meet every other cycle in an attempt to make it seem less obvious to Clu as to who they were. So far, their plans had been working, until now. Beck looked down at the floor warily as Tron kept running through the memories, the same image, over and over. The Rogue disappeared from his disk the nanocycle he reached her. Images became a blur, just like they had when Beck first met Mira.

His mind was reeling with confusion and worry over this revelation. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a connection between the Rogue's disappearances and the fact that Tron couldn't read her disk. Beck knew that if a program had something to hide, it was usually for a good reason. Though he was beginning to suspect that there was more to the Rogue than just a mask and some symbol meant to give programs hope.

"So… what does this mean?" Beck asked as he tried waiting for Tron to say anything.

The silence was maddening. Beck knew that Tron was trying to calculate the Rogue's next move, but that was almost impossible. If Mira had been there, she would've found some way to break the awkward silence. She always had a way of getting under Tron's skin.

Not for the first time, Beck found himself missing Mira's presence now more than ever. Not for the first time, he thought back to Tron's conversation with Able earlier that cycle. Again, Beck couldn't shake off the feeling that the Rogue and Mira were somehow connected. The possibilities were too numerous for him to ignore the fact that she was fighting her own battle against Clu. The thought that Mira could be putting her life in danger because of Clu left him feeling worried. He wished there was more he could say to the Rogue. Maybe he could somehow convince her to reveal her face, and get them working together again rather than against each other.

"It means that the Rogue is more trouble than we realized," Tron explained as he handed the disk back to Beck. Beck thought back to the way the Rogue had acted when he encountered her a second time. She didn't seem as violent as when they were in the coliseum. Then again, she was more than likely trying to get away from him at the time. "I've tried looking for any traces of codes related to the Rogue, but every time I reach a breakthrough, it vanishes."

That caught Beck off guard. He knew full well that Tron never was able to track down Mira. Even before they had met, there was something within the coding of her disk that prevented security programs from searching for her. That was probably why Tron had acted so hostile towards her the first time they met. But Tron not being able to track down the Rogue sounded almost too coincidental. He knew that Mira wouldn't have wanted them to track her down. If she was able to hide the contents of her disk, she would use that to her advantage.

If Mira really was disguising herself as the Rogue, it suddenly made sense why they couldn't scan her disk. More importantly, it explained why she was so hostile towards both of them. Shame and guilt crawled through Beck as he wondered what she went through while she was on her own to make her act so hostile. A lot of it had been his own fault for pulling off risky stunts like getting captured and thrown into the games. He could have easily been killed during the games if he hadn't been prepared for it. And Mira's behavior towards him made more sense than he wanted to admit out loud.

"Do you think there's a connection?" Beck asked thoughtfully.

He recalled the conversation Tron had with Able about Mira and the Rogue possibly being the same. In all honesty, it wouldn't surprise Beck that Mira chose to fight back on her own. Back when they first met, she had already mentioned the reason why she wanted to help him destroy the statue they'd placed over Argon Park. Her sheer determination to prove everyone wrong was something that he'd always secretly admired. She and Paige had a lot in common when he thought of their determination, and their willingness to help others despite what they thought of them.

 _I'd rather have her as a friend than an enemy_ , he reminded himself. If she was as skilled at fighting now than she had been when they first met, they needed her on their side now more than ever. He shuddered to think of what would happen if she suddenly turned against them. She would have made a dangerous enemy if she turned her back on them.

"I'm sure there is," Tron replied, sounding more frustrated than ever. "Beck, it's more important now than ever to keep an eye on the Rogue. If she gets caught by the Occupation—"

"It's game over, I know," Beck sighed when he gave it more thought. Clu wouldn't hesitate to torture the Rogue into finding out where Tron's safehouse was. Or whether Beck was the Renegade or not. As if she hadn't suffered enough these last few xilacycles. "I'll be sure to track her down as soon as I'm finished with work."

Beck decided to leave it at that, knowing full well that tracking the Rogue down was a difficult enough task. She wouldn't want to be found, especially by him. It made him angry, and sad, that she would go to such lengths to ensure her safety. He just hoped that the next time they met, she would be in a listening mood.

…

"You are more trouble than it's worth," Mira sighed when she returned to find that Rinzler had escaped from his cage.

He was more than eager to find her return safely, albeit a few new scratches and bruises from when she crashed. The cave, to her surprise, wasn't a mess like she expected. Rinzler must have been waiting for her, just like she hoped. She had been worried that he would run off on his own to try and find her. Programs that didn't understand what a kitten was or if he was a threat would likely try to derezz him. And she dreaded the cycle when that would happen.

She knelt down and noticed something in the dust that caught her attention. Rinzler pawed at the shiny object and mewled in fascination. This was something Mira hadn't seen in many cycles. Her eyes widened in recognition as she saw the golden strand, with a locket attached to it. She had left it there after spending hilocycles working with loose code. She gently picked it up and turned the locket around, recalling the letters inscribed on the back.

 _MB_.

Mira had always assumed those were her initials. The locket was something her mother had given her as a birthday present. Though, now that she thought back to her faint memories as a User, she realized that she never really knew who her _real_ mother was. The parents who took her in were actually foster parents. She remembered that much. They were the only reason she ever had a home in the first place.

They'd given her the locket when she reached a certain age after making sure she understood why it was given to her. Up until that moment, Mira never felt bothered to care what her real mother was up to. Now, she began to wonder if her mother even cared whether she went missing. Or if her foster parents ever bothered looking for her when she disappeared to the Grid. That thought alone sent a shiver of unease through her. She couldn't imagine what they must have thought when she suddenly disappeared the way she had.

Rinzler let out a mewl of concern when he noticed her change in attitude. She decided to put her locket on as a reminder of her past. It meant that programs would more than likely know she was a User. But lately, it didn't seem to matter. She hadn't felt this alone in a long time. Bitterness welled within her at the thought. Not one program would ever be able to understand just how alone she truly was on the Grid. And suddenly, she wished she could tell them everything without worrying how they would react.

"I miss them," she whispered as she sat down and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Rinzler gently rubbed his head against her arms, and she welcomed his comfort. It was the first time in a long time that she had ever felt homesick. She missed not having to worry about feeling worried about breaking curfew, or for just existing. She doubted anyone would ever understand what that was like, unless they were ISOs. The ISOs had suffered the most out of Clu's tyranny. When he destroyed them during the ISO war, she knew that she wasn't the only one to suffer under his rule.

Mira straightened up when she saw something floating in the distance. A Recognizer, by the looks of it, was hovering right above the Outlands. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered if they were looking for her. Of course they would be, why wouldn't they? For all she knew, they were aware that a User was lurking in Argon City. It was the only reason Clu had returned to Argon in the first place. Another shiver of unease swept through Mira as she thought of why Clu had left Tron City in such a hurry.

 _He would try and look for me in one of the last cities anyone expected to find a User_ , she nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Citizens of Argon, these programs have been captured to make an example of what happens when Users interfere with our lives." Mira stiffened at the sound of Clu's voice. Rinzler's fur stood on end, and he ducked behind her as the Recognizer got dangerously close to their hiding place. "At the end of this cycle, these programs are going to face deresolution, unless the Rogue is willing to comply and give herself up. Thank you, and have a wonderful cycle."

"He can't possibly be serious?" Mira groaned in annoyance, realizing that of course, Clu would blow her cover.

He'd connected the pieces faster than she thought possible. He knew that she was the Rogue, and he wouldn't hesitate to capture her as a result for her actions.

She wasn't going to let those programs fall at the hands of Clu. But she also wasn't in any hurry to give herself up. So she was at a crossroad. There was no point in hiding herself anymore. If she showed herself now, it would prove whether or not her theory was right after all. She had until the end of the cycle to reach Argon Park, which was where the execution would be held. That gave her enough time to think her plan through. Either way, she wasn't going to let Clu get away with this.

…

"You've outdone yourself, Paige," Tesler said as he clasped a hand on her shoulder.

Paige couldn't help but grin triumphantly as she realized they'd given the Rogue an ultimatum. If the Rogue really did stand for freewill, then she would give herself up willingly, and let those programs go. She knew after that the Rogue would face justice for the crimes that they committed. It only made sense that they would suffer punishment Clu had in store for them.

"Has Clu said what he's planning to do with the User once she's captured?" she asked as they made their way to Argon Park.

That was where this event would be held. Clu had already set the stage for the Rogue's capture. Canons were set up in case she attacked from above. Soldiers were among the crowd in disguise as citizens in case she showed herself from below. Either way, they were guaranteed a capture.

"He hasn't said anything yet," Pavel replied with a sly grin. "Though I can only imagine what sort of torture he'll put her through. It puts a smile on my face to know that she's going to suffer for her crimes."

Paige frowned at that. She never thought that Clu would actually go to those lengths. The User should be derezzed for even existing. But to torture her before than sounded wrong. Paige tried not to think about it. Clu's words were final. He could do whatever he wanted to the User, so long as Paige wasn't there to watch it.

Once Paige was finished giving her report of the previous cycle, she headed out to meet with Beck before the big showdown. She was eager to see him again, especially after hearing what Pavel said about the User and her fate. Beck was probably one of the reasons she had kept her mind straight throughout these last few cycles.

The only problem was, as Paige reached the garage, she noticed that something was wrong. Beck wasn't there, and neither were his friends, Mara and Zed. It seemed empty, until she spotted Able cleaning up the remains of what his employees had left on the floor.

"Commander Paige, I hope everything is okay," Able said when he turned the vacuum off and looked at her warily.

Paige stiffened when she saw that his wrists were now marked as well. She winced as she recalled leaving that mark, and explaining the reason behind them. She never wanted to leave the marks in the first place, but they had been orders. Disobeying such orders would only result in punishment on Clu's part, and Paige wasn't in any hurry to face his wrath.

"Er, yeah. I was actually hoping to meet with Beck, but it doesn't seem like he's here. Do you know where he might've gone?" she asked sheepishly, earning a look of surprise from Able.

"He left a few pectrocycles ago. He should've been back a while ago for his shift, he's not here," Able sighed in frustration. "Mara and Zed are gone, too." Able paused before looking at Paige in concern. "They haven't done anything to get themselves into trouble, have they?"

"Of course not," Paige reassured him with a smile. "I was just hoping we could hang out again."

She didn't miss the look of surprise flashing in Able's eyes.

 _Why is everyone so surprised when I say that_? she wondered. _Do I really take my job that seriously_?

She shook her head at the thought and dismissed it as foolish thinking. She was a commander of Tesler's army. Of course, it would make sense that programs question her motives. Fortunately, she was nothing like Pavel, and she only derezzed a program if they had done something to deserve it. She hated having to derezz a program unless it was somehow her last resort. ISOs were the only true threat she ever perceived, unless those who went against Clu's orders were involved or if they had committed serious crimes.

Paige headed for Argon Park after that. Maybe, she would run into Beck and his friends there. Sometimes they liked to hang out there after work when they weren't at the club. But to her surprise, and disappointment, they weren't there either.

She let out a sigh of frustration and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She wasn't sure why she was so anxious about their sudden disappearance. It made no sense, given that they could easily handle themselves on the streets of Argon.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that the crowd was starting to build in Argon Park. It took Paige a few nanocycles to realize that the event was about to start. It was already the end of the cycle, and it looked as if the whole city was gathering to watch the showdown.

 _I didn't think so many programs were eager to watch the Rogue fight_ , Paige thought as she looked around anxiously. She recalled the fight between Tesler and the Renegade. Everyone showed up for that as well. Fights like these weren't too common, and programs were itching for a big showdown that could result in someone's death.

"Programs of Argon, it is wonderful that you would choose to show up at this event!"

Paige stiffened at the sound of Clu's voice. She leaned forward to see him standing on the platform, along with three other programs that made her eyes widen in panic.

"He wouldn't," she cursed under her breath.

But he would use them as bait. Fear wormed its way into her stomach as cold realization dawned on her. She knew she was getting too close to the mechanics for comfort. Any other Commander would have been thrilled that they were using their idea to catch the Rogue. Now all of a sudden, Paige regretted bringing up the idea of using hostages.

"I am pleased to announce that these programs will face deresolution for breaking curfew, unless the Rogue is willing to give herself up."

Paige's fists clenched as she saw the three programs exchange frantic looks. Those programs were also considered Paige's friends, as far as she was concerned. And Clu was going to derezz them if the Rogue didn't show up. She closed her eyes and silently begged that the Rogue would save their lives, just this once.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Mira's eyes widened in horror when she recognized the three programs that Clu had captured. This was just another painful sting; Clu knew she cared about them. That was why he chose them for this. He knew it would get to her.

She stood at the top of a building, aware of her surroundings. Hundreds of programs were gathered there to watch as she 'gave herself up'. Clu likely had the place rigged with canons and soldiers. There really was no easy way out of this.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Mira stood up and looked down from where she was standing. She stood at the top of a building overlooking Argon Park. The moment she stood up was when someone had spotted her. Chaos soon followed as the crowd started booing or calling her out. Mira only rolled her eyes as she realized that her worst fears were confirmed.

 _These programs, the same ones I'm fighting for, wouldn't hesitate to turn me in_ , she reminded herself bitterly. She wondered why she bothered doing anything at all to help them. It wasn't like they ever thanked her. In fact, most of them blamed her for what had happened recently.

No. She wouldn't let Beck or his friends get derezzed for her existence. They didn't deserve to share the same fate she would meet. That gave Mira enough courage to stand up straighter and glare down at Clu. She couldn't wait to wipe off that triumphant smirk on his face.

Without a second thought, she turned back and started running. She didn't miss the way Beck was frantically trying to free himself from the handcuffs, or the canons that started whirring to life at her sudden movement. Just as the canons were about to fire, Mira ducked and rolled. The maneuver was enough for her to dodge the fire as they hit the building behind her. Programs had to leap out of the way as she landed gracefully on the ground nanocycles later.

Deadly silence followed. Mira's eyes narrowed with hate as she saw Clu standing above Beck and his friends. Both Mara and Zed wore looks of panic when they saw what was happening. She grabbed her light staff and was about to run towards Clu when someone grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"You aren't going anywhere, User." Pavel. She'd recognize his annoying voice anywhere, and the strong grip he had as he managed to pin her down. "You have no idea just how long I've been waiting to do that."

Mira suddenly kicked Pavel in the chest, throwing her legs up with all her strength. It left a nasty impact that sent him reeling back in pain. She refused to give him the chance to hurt her or anyone else she cared about. Pavel was a pushover compared to some of the other soldiers she faced in the past, and seeing him recoil from the pain was more than satisfying.

"And you have no idea just how long _I've_ been waiting to do that," she retorted before leaping back to her feet.

The crowd had begun parting ways a little, but not enough for her to see the angry glares programs were giving her. Mira knew that without a doubt, these programs would never fight alongside her if she asked. She was about to make her way to the platform where Clu was standing when he called her out.

"Rogue! I've been waiting long enough for your compliance."

A chill swept through Mira when she saw one of the guards standing over Mara. Neither Beck or Zed could move as they were held down as a disk activated and hovered dangerously close to Mara's neck. Her eyes widened in sheer terror as she realized what was about to happen.

"Let them go!" she shouted above the frantic cries that followed. "Let them go, and I'll give myself up."

Clu's smirk was what really irritated her the most. The disk never left its position, but the soldier had relaxed a little more as Mira pushed her way through the crowd. She knew they wouldn't hesitate to derezz all three of them if Clu gave the order. Her fists clenched with rage as she caught Clu watching her with a triumphant look. He knew no matter what, she had to listen. Unless she was willing to watch them die in front of everyone, she had to give herself up.

A shiver of dread swept through Mira as she reached the platform. She didn't miss the look of panic Beck was giving her. Or the glares Mara and Zed threw her. She didn't care anymore. She was tired of Clu trying to take advantage of her emotions. She wasn't going to let him hurt Beck or his friends for the mistakes she made. Clu gave the soldier a nod, and he released his grip on Mara before turning on Mira.

In one split nanocycle, everything went downhill, fast. The soldier didn't hesitate to pin her down. Mira wasn't struggling, but he used all his force to make sure she didn't escape. Once they'd placed cuffs around her wrists and drew a disk across to ensure they found the right target, she was forced back to her feet. She didn't even cry out in pain, to her credit.

She wasn't going to give Clu the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. The smirk written across his face told her that he had been hoping for some kind of reaction. She simply glared at him with a look that would have left anyone else running in the opposite direction.

"You're one difficult User to find, I'll give you that," Clu chuckled as he approached her. "Let the mechanics go. We're done here."

"No!" Beck cried out as the soldiers took off their handcuffs, but Mara and Zed were already gently pushing him away from the platform. Mira couldn't look at him. Not after everything they had been through together. "You can't do this!"

"Beck, just let it go," she heard Mara sigh in frustration. "Users don't belong on the Grid, and you know it."

Mira winced at that, knowing full well that it was true. The nanocycle they were gone was when she along with the rest of Clu's soldiers were led back to Tesler's ship. She understood what she was giving up when she was caught. The risks were real, and the truth was all the more terrifying. She wasn't going to make it out of this alive.

…

It took a while for things to clear out as Paige made sure the citizens of Argon left peacefully. Chaos in the area was obvious once the User was captured. Some programs had been cursing at her when she landed in the center of the crowd. Others were fighting to reach her, and those who did were derezzed. The worst part was hearing Beck's panicked shouts as the User was dragged away.

 _He stood up for her_ … _why_? Paige wondered.

It wasn't like the User had done anything good for the Grid. None of this would have happened in the first place, if the User hadn't been around. Paige was now furious with the User for what had happened. Not only had Clu used Beck and his friends as bait, but he threatened their lives in the process. She was going to give this User a piece of her mind when she got back.

Paige returned to the ship to find it bustling with activity. Tesler was nowhere to be seen, but she saw Pavel cringing as the medics worked on fixing damaged code left by the User. She almost smirked at that, relishing in the fact that Pavel was beaten up for a change. If only it hadn't been the User who caused that damage.

Apparently, Clu had ordered everyone to stay away while he interrogated the User. She had valuable information on the Renegade that he was more than interested in, but Paige suspected there was more to this interrogation. She smirked as she thought of how well she knew this ship, inside and out. It wouldn't hurt to do a little investigating of her own.

While Pavel was distracted, Paige wasted no time in climbing through the air vents. One of them led straight to the prison rooms. And one particular prison room had caught her attention as she got closer. Paige was able to peer through the grates as she saw the User strapped to a chair, and Clu standing right in front of her.

"Did you honestly think those programs would ever stand up for you?" Clu sneered as he hovered there like an ominous predator. "They _hate_ you. And rightfully so. In the face of it, you are nothing. A weak, worthless creature, who doesn't deserve to exist."

Ouch. Paige had to admit it, this User had courage for not flinching at Clu's cruel words. She wished she could have that amount of courage when the ISOs had destroyed her entire hospital. But that was in the past, and Paige was more interested in how the User would respond.

She had to admit, she was curious as to how the User had survived for so long on her own. From what Paige gathered, they were weak compared to most of the programs she fought in the past. Yet, seeing this User fight off Pavel told her that she was stronger than she looked.

It suddenly left Paige wondering if there was more going on with the User than even she knew. There were so many questions Paige had regarding the User's presence on the Grid. If she was capable of doing what Clu suggested, then why hadn't she done anything? And more importantly, how was the User able to fight back with the kind of strength she showed?

"Then why don't you just end my life already?" the User snapped, anger thick within her voice.

Clu only chuckled and shook his head in grim amusement. Paige had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that he wouldn't just 'end' her life so easily.

"You have no idea, do you?" he asked gleefully. "I've got big plans for you. Plans that involve more pain than you could ever imagine."

Paige couldn't help but cringe at that. She wondered just what sort of 'plans' Clu had in store for the User. She almost wished she could have figured him out. But maybe it was better that she didn't. Clu had his own reasons for this.

Once Clu was finished talking, Paige decided to leave and request that she speak with the User herself. Paige really wanted to give this User a piece of her mind. And to do that, she would need permission.

She returned to the throne room to find Tesler quietly talking with Clu. How he had gotten there so fast was beyond Paige's thoughts. She shook her head and decided to push the anxiety aside as she greeted her General and the Ruler of the Grid.

"Commander Paige, that plan of yours was brilliant," Tesler stated after she finished bowing to them.

"I agree. We couldn't have pulled that off without your help," Clu added. "Your status as a Commander might get an upgrade, if you keep this work up."

Paige's eyes lit up with happiness at his praise. It was rare to earn such praise from the leader of the Grid, and she had to maintain her composure for just a few more microcycles. She just hoped that her next request didn't deter Clu's thoughts on her.

"Sir, I was wondering if you could possibly let me speak with the User?" she asked as politely as she could. Clu eyed her skeptically as she explained her reasons. "The User was rescued by an ISO. ISOs are the reason my hospital, and everyone I worked with was destroyed. I was hoping to return the 'favor'."

To her surprise, Clu actually agreed with letting her do so.

"I don't see why that's a problem," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Once you're finished, we're heading back to Tron City, where she'll answer for her crimes."

"Good, the less time that _User_ is on our ship, the better," Tesler growled, his face turning to a look of anger at the mention of 'User'.

Paige winced as she remembered what Clu had said to the User. Obviously, he wasn't going to share whatever secrets he had with Tesler. Once that was said and done, Paige followed one of Clu's soldiers to the room where the User was being kept. Paige's eyes widened when she realized that the User's helmet was receded when the door slid open. She realized with a start that this was the very same User who was with Beck when she had turned him down the first time they went out. But that wasn't what had horrified Paige the most. The scars that covered her face, arms and likely less visible scars were what had almost made her want to take back what she was about to say.

She cleared her throat, and when the User locked eyes with her, Paige thought she could stay frozen on the spot forever. The door closed behind her the moment she walked inside. The soldier was standing on the other side, in case things got messy.

Though the User was currently bound in chains and incapable of freeing herself, that didn't mean the soldiers on Tesler's ship were giving her any chances. Paige had seen what this User was capable of, and she was a dangerous enemy to everyone.

"You don't deserve to live; you know that?" Paige asked as she leaned against the wall, trying to keep a straight face as she spoke. That was almost impossible with the User staring her down. To Paige's surprise, the User wasn't glaring at her like she expected. "Why don't you at least say _something_?" she demanded, getting angry with the fact that this seemed to have no effect on the User.

"Because there's nothing worth saying," the User replied, her voice so quiet and full of bitterness that it made Paige flinch. "All of you programs are the same."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Paige asked, refusing to meet the User's piercing gaze.

"Creatures of habit," the User explained, causing Paige to finally look at her. "Programs don't know any other way, and aren't willing to find another way. As long as they have their _beloved_ leader, they're happy."

The sarcasm in her voice when she talked about Clu really infuriated Paige. She reached for her disk when she remembered what Clu had said. He wanted this User for reasons she would never know. Maybe the User herself would be able to enlighten her.

"Do you know what Clu wants from you?" she asked as nonchalantly as she could. Paige was really hoping that the User would give her an answer. Instead, the User refrained from speaking at all. Paige narrowed her eyes as she realized the User was giving her the silent treatment. "Alright, fine. Don't say anything. Just know, that I've been wishing you were derezzed since the moment you appeared on the Grid."

She was about to turn and leave when she heard the User whisper something under her breath.

"So do I…"

That message sent chills through Paige as she left the room. Whatever the User went through, it didn't matter. Paige needed to keep her resolve and ensure that Tesler and Clu trusted her enough. She wasn't going to miss seeing that face again once Clu was gone.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Everyone was talking about what had happened the previous cycle when Beck and his friends returned to the garage. For the programs working at the garage, it was a moment of excitement and terror. Mara especially was suffering from nightmares after what had happened. Zed had resorted to staying by her side when she went into sleep mode, in case she suffered from another nightmare. To make matters worse, they blamed the User for what had happened.

Beck felt even worse about it all. Mara had accused him of standing up for Mira when she was taken by Clu. She had claimed that he was supporting the enemy. It was only thanks to Able's interference that she stopped. Beck was hit the hardest by recent events. It was obvious he didn't have enough energy to move on, and Able had Zed and Mara working his extra shifts because of it. He blamed himself for what had happened. He didn't even have the heart to face Tron, knowing full well the security program would be furious when he found out.

He dreaded the moment when he would have to tell Tron what had happened. While he had a feeling the security program would already know, it still pained him to know that he would still have to retell the story.

"Beck, you can't blame yourself for what happened," Able tried reasoning with him when they returned to the garage that cycle. The old mechanic decided it was best to pull Beck aside after his display earlier. "Sometimes, things happen for a reason."

"Yeah, but this shouldn't have happened," Beck sighed as he leaned against the wall nearby. His mind was running a mile a microcycle as he tried to think of a way to get her out of this mess. "She's suffered from so much as it is, and this is only going to make it worse."

Able didn't know exactly what Mira had gone through over the cycles. He did know that when Beck said she had suffered, it must have been serious. Now he understood why Mira had acted so cold towards everyone when she first met them.

To Beck's relief, Able left it at that and allowed him to leave the office. He wasn't expecting to find Paige waiting for him in the garage. Or for everyone to throw him cautious looks as he approached her. Not that he couldn't blame them for their lack of trust.

After trying to stop them from taking Mira away, he knew it would take time for them to understand why he did so. These same programs that they fought so hard to protect wouldn't hesitate to turn himself or Mira in. Knowing that much left his heart wrenching with pity as realization dawned on him. Tron had been right to tell him that they weren't ready to know who the Renegade was. Telling them now would only confirm what they thought of himself and Mira.

Paige didn't look happy, for whatever reason. Beck was just hoping that Clu didn't already look through Mira's memories to find out he was the Renegade. She could be here just to arrest him. Though, if Mira's disk was as complicated as Tron made it seem, Beck doubted the ruler would even have access to those memories, or the contents of her disk.

"Beck, I'm glad I was able to find you," Paige sighed when he reached her. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened to you, and your friends. It shouldn't have happened; I was expecting Clu to pick some random citizens in the city."

"You _knew_ this was going to happen?" Beck asked in disbelief.

He couldn't believe that she would have devised a plan like that. Using programs as bait had been a cynical plan, and one that clearly worked. Unease swept through Beck at the thought. Clu had chosen himself, Mara and Zed because he somehow knew that would convince Mira to give herself up.

Paige blinked in surprise at the accusing tone in his voice, but she brushed it off nanocycles later.

"Well, yeah. I'm the one who suggested we do it," she replied with a shrug. "The Rogue is a User; we know that much. Clu said he has big plans for her, whatever they might be. But what I'd like to know, is why that User was with you when we first started going out."

Beck stiffened at that. As much as he hated to admit it, Paige was right to accuse him of spending time with a User. Mira had been with him when Paige pretty much dumped him. He could still remember the amount of regret and anger he felt at that moment. But it only lasted for just that, because he knew that Paige was only trying to follow her instincts. Yet, it was also at that point he remembered what Mira had warned him about all those cycles ago. Paige would turn them in faster than he could blink if she knew he was the Renegade.

At the time, he used to think it was just Mira's lack of trust getting the better of her. Now, he suddenly began to understand just how right she had been. The guilt and shame from earlier came rushing back as Beck tried to avoid making eye contact with Paige.

 _This shouldn't have happened in the first place_ , he reminded himself. Now he had to go around and lie to everyone about the User that had been with him all those cycles ago. His chest felt tight at the thought of having to tell them he knew nothing about what she was.

"Look, she was with me, but I didn't know she was User," he lied, hoping Paige would buy that. "We were good friends at the time, but I would've turned her in if I knew the truth."

He hated telling her that, because he knew it wasn't true. Beck would have never betrayed Mira that way.

Paige eyed him thoughtfully. Beck really hoped that she bought all of that. He didn't have much of another excuse. He could just have just said that Mira was there for moral support. It would have made sense that way, when he thought of it.

"Alright, I believe you," she said after a few awkward nanocycles of silence followed. "Clu asked me to go with him to Tron City." Beck stared at Paige in disbelief when she said that; he had to swallow back the unease the followed. "He was so impressed with my plan, that he wants me working alongside him as he interrogates the Rogue, and finally puts an end to her terror."

"Paige, you can't possibly think that's a good thing, can you?" Beck asked the question so quietly that he wasn't sure she heard.

Paige's expression was almost impossible to read. She looked down at the floor as she gave his question some thought.

"I don't know what to think, anymore," she sighed irritably. "I used to think that Users were bad. All of them. But after seeing the way she looked at me, and those scars… I'm beginning to think that maybe we're wrong." Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise as she finally looked at him seriously. "But it doesn't change the fact that she's here at all. She doesn't deserve to live, and at the end of the mylacycle, when Clu's finished with her, she _will_ be derezzed."

With that being said, Paige turned and left Beck standing there in utter shock. Paige couldn't possibly believe that Clu would just derezz his most revered prize, did she? Beck shook his head at the thought, guessing that Paige was just being hopeful.

He had to report this to Tron. They couldn't let Clu hurt Mira any more than she already was. He wasn't going to get away with this. Once Paige was gone, Beck wasted no time in heading for the safehouse. It meant facing the truth sooner than he'd hoped. But Tron deserved to know what Clu was planning.

Sure enough, Beck found Tron already waiting for him when he arrived. Only, to his surprise, he found that Tron was holding something he hadn't seen in a long time. A tiny black and red-striped kitten with large reddish-orange eyes. Beck stared at the kitten in question for a few nanocycles before looking back at Tron.

"Where did he come from?" was all he could ask.

"He triggered an alarm; he must have known to look for this place," Tron explained as Rinzler jumped out of his hands and ran over to Beck. He couldn't help but grin sheepishly as Rinzler sniffed him warily before hopping onto his shoulder. "What happened back there?"

Beck stiffened for a moment. He still felt reluctant at having to explain what exactly happened in the last two cycles. He didn't miss the look of pure rage written across Tron's face when he mentioned how Clu used him and his friends as live bait. Or how the Rogue had given herself up for their sake. Or how the programs had treated her when they discovered she was a User.

The fact of it was that these programs had only justified Mira's lack of trust in them. Beck would have thought that after everything the Rogue had done for them, they would understand that Users weren't as bad as Clu panned them out to be. What bothered him the most though was how willing she was to give herself up for the very programs who _would_ have turned their backs on her.

"I have to find some way to free her," Beck sighed once he was finished telling him all of this. "It's my fault she was captured, again."

"Beck, don't jump into any risky decisions," Tron reminded him. "It won't do the Revolution any good if you're captured, too."

 _He has a good point_ , Beck thought bitterly. No. He couldn't let Clu get away with this. He was going to risk everything to make sure that Mira was safe again. She'd suffered enough at the hands of Clu; there was no telling what this would do to her already fragile trust in programs.

"I have to do this," he said in a voice full of determination. Tron looked at him in a way that reminded Beck of the first time they had met. Back then, he was full of self-doubt and not as confident in his skills. It amazed Tron at how much Beck had changed in such a short amount of time. "She doesn't deserve to suffer any more than she already has at the hands of Clu."

"You're right," Tron said after giving it some thought. "But you won't be doing this alone. I'm going with you, for extra support. Clu's fortress is stronger than any ship you've encountered before."

Beck stared at Tron in surprise until nodding in agreement at those terms. Having backup would definitely be useful, especially given the situation they were in.

"The only way I managed to get inside before was by letting myself get captured," he admitted sheepishly.

Tron threw him a knowing look and crossed his arms, knowing that was the last thing they needed.

"His fortress may be heavily guarded and nearly impenetrable, but that doesn't mean it isn't," he explained after typing in a few codes on the viewing screen. Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise when he noticed small entrances to and from the coliseum. "She was likely using those tunnels as a way of getting in and out of the coliseum."

"Then we just need to find a way in without getting caught," Beck remarked thoughtfully.

Once they decided where to strike and when, it was up to Beck to make sure he got everything and told Able where he was going. His boss wasn't so surprised to hear about his trip to Tron City, or the fact that Tron was going with him either.

"Just make sure you're careful," Able informed him. "And keep an eye on Tron. He may have experience, but that doesn't mean he's not vulnerable."

It confused Beck when Able said that. Mostly because he knew that Tron of all programs had constantly pushed himself to the limits over these last few xilacycles. Tron was vulnerable, in more ways than one, when it came to defending Users. He just hoped and begged silently that Clu didn't use that against Tron.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Zed asked when he told his friends he was leaving for a while. "It's only going to make everyone suspicious."

"Zed, you know that I cared about her," Beck sighed as he watched Mara work on a light jet that malfunctioned recently. She was just using her work as a way to escape the nightmares. "I should've been there for her, but I wasn't. I've got to make up for what Clu did."

Zed didn't argue, much to his relief. In fact, he didn't even look surprised. Beck had told Zed about how much he cared about the User that Clu captured after the incident. He felt it was only right to tell him. He trusted Zed enough not to tell anyone, other than Mara.

Once they had said their goodbyes, Beck got ready to leave. He silently begged to Flynn and all of above that this mission went well. They would lose everything if they got caught just like Mira. And this time, there wouldn't be anyone to rescue them.

…

It wasn't easy saying goodbye to the program she had gotten to know over the last few cycles. Paige thought back to the first time they had met. Beck had been determined to catch her attention while they were on that train. And once again, he was with the User. At the time, she hadn't really thought it through. Now that she looked back at it, she guessed they were working together at one point.

They had recently arrived in Tron City. Paige had never visited this city, but she was fully aware of how huge it was. This city made Argon look like Purgos. Tall buildings towered above her, with brilliant blue and white lights shimmering in the distance. It was also bustling with activity as programs traveled to and from their jobs. At the height of the city was both the coliseum and the End of Line club.

This city was intimidating, to say the least. It took Paige a few microcycles to try and take everything in as the Recognizers reached their destination. Clu had arrived in Argon City with a Durigable, and returned to Tron City with one. Once the Recognizers had landed, the User was led to her new accommodations.

Paige gawked at the sheer size of Clu's fortress. It was at least three times the size of Tesler's ship. The coliseum was to the right side of the fortress, with Clu's secret hold on the other. Paige noticed that several guards were walking around like mindless programs, as if they'd recently been repurposed. Clu himself had asked for Paige to follow him, in which she was more than willing to oblige.

"I've already compiled a set of enhancements that were given to the User when we first had her captive," Clu explained as a group of scientists worked tirelessly in one room. Paige's eyes narrowed at the mention of enhancements. "That's why she was so difficult to catch in the first place. She'd make a fine soldier, if we were to repurpose her."

"Sir, I thought the objective was to derezz her," Paige said thoughtfully.

She didn't want to know how Clu managed to give the User enhancements, or why in the first place. After spending enough time on the Grid, one could learn just about anything when they put their mind to it. The thought still sent a shiver of unease through Paige. Knowing that was Clu's intentions didn't help matters.

"The objective was to bring her back in _one piece_ ," Clu replied nonchalantly. "I never said we would derezz her. Not when we've gotten this close to making the perfect soldier."

That was all Paige needed to hear to realize that Clu had his own agenda. Her mind was spinning with shock as she began to comprehend just how cynical Clu really was. The fact that he wanted to turn the User against everyone on the Grid left her reeling with disbelief. His fascination with Users should have been the first clue that something wasn't right.

She started helping Clu out by figuring out what enhancements were needed, but that was far as she could go without going against her own moral. She realized with a start that her medical training was telling her how wrong it was to treat the User this way. Even after giving up her coding as a medical program, that didn't stop her from feeling shame for what she did.

She didn't want to think what that User had gone through before all of this. It left her realizing that Beck was right when he talked about the User. And it also left Paige thinking of a possible way to make sure Clu didn't repurpose the User to his liking. She had a horribly feeling in the pit of her stomach that repurposing this User would end badly for everyone on the Grid.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

They reached Tron City within half a full cycle. Recognizers were flying all over the place, with extra patrols roaming the streets as well. Beck suddenly realized that Clu must have known someone would make an attempt to break into the coliseum.

Soon enough, the large building in question loomed ahead of them. As they approached the imposing building, Beck's grip on the light cycle tightened. A new sense of determination swept over him as he thought of the plan they came up with before arriving in Tron City.

 _We're coming for you, Clu_ , he told himself. Clu was in for a nasty surprise when he and Tron showed up at his base. And hopefully, they would make it out with the one prisoner they were here for. Tron had already explained how the plan would go.

Beck would take one corner of the building while he took the other side. With any luck, they would find the Rogue wherever Clu was keeping her. So, with a handful of smoke grenades, tasers, and his wits, Beck swerved to the right to where he would break in.

To think that he was going in here a second time, willingly, unnerved him. The last time he was here had ended miserably, with the Rogue saving his sorry butt from Rinzler. He winced at that memory, remembering how angry she had been when they were finally out of the building. It made sense to him now that she was so furious. He'd almost thrown away everything they worked for just to meet her. It was almost ironic.

"Halt, program!" Great. Beck rolled his eyes when one of the many soldiers spotted him. "It's the Renegade, sound the alarm!"

Without warning, Beck threw a taser at the soldier, knocking him out in an instant. The second soldier went down pretty much the same, with Beck throwing in a good punch or two until he was knocked out.

Once he was finished with that, Beck grabbed hold of the soldier and used his code to get inside. That was better than just breaking in and sounding the alarm. To top things off, Beck decided to go even further and put on a soldier disguise. He was lucky Paige never marked him like she did with all the other programs. He'd gotten away with it, up until now. The one good thing about spending so much time with Paige was that she had been distracted. While he hated using her that way, it gave him a window of opportunity he hadn't thought of before.

Then came the challenging part. This building was a complex system of hallways leading to other hallways. Beck had learned that the coliseum was attached to the building, so he had to avoid that area at all costs. Tron was the one smart enough to bring a map with him, whereas Beck needed to use his wits.

Beck was surprised the area wasn't as heavily guarded as he first thought. Clu should have at least posted guards near the entrance to what Beck assumed was the main ship. And of course, Beck's worst thoughts were confirmed when he realized that Clu was just probably biding his time.

Five soldiers were now standing in front of him, disks activated as they prepared to attack. Beck braced himself for a fight when one of the soldiers suddenly threw their disk. He easily leaped out of the way, kicking the disk out of his way before firing a smoke grenade. The soldiers guarding the entrance weren't given much of a chance as Beck used their lack of sight to his advantage. He knocked out each soldier, one by one with ease, before making his way into the next room.

"You aren't going anywhere, Renegade!" Beck froze at the familiar sound of Paige's furious voice. He whipped around in time to see her glaring at him, disk activated as she stood there. "Why are you wearing that disguise? And don't give me any 'this is for the uprising' crap."

"Look, you and I both know that whatever Clu plans to do isn't what everyone else wants from that User," Beck explained, trying to keep his voice steady as he locked eyes with Paige. Not for the first time, Beck was thankful to have a mask covering his face. "So, why don't we make this simple, and you tell me where he's holding her."

"As if I'm going to tell you where she is," Paige scoffed, but Beck could see that her expression was wavering. His eyes widened in fear as he wondered what Clu did to the Rogue while Paige was watching. And he wondered if she had included herself in whatever torture he committed. "Okay, it may feel wrong to help you, but it also felt wrong to find out what Clu did to her," she said, her voice a little softer this time.

"Paige, what did Clu do to her?" Beck asked, and Paige didn't miss the concern in his voice.

He was struggling to keep himself from pinning her against the wall and demanding answers. If Paige was willing to cooperate this time, then he needed to restrain himself. They needed all the help they could get while in this menacing place. Especially with Mira in whatever state they would likely find her in.

"It's not in my best interest to tell you," she snapped. "Just be thankful I'm willing to help you at all." Beck resisted the urge to shout something at her; anything was better than not having any answer. Paige bit the bottom of her lip before turning to one of the hallways Beck would never think of going down. "Clu's keeping her locked up a room down that hallway. She's… still recovering."

 _Recovering from what_? Beck winced as he imagined the worst possible outcome for the Rogue. He doubted it could be anything good. Paige quickly led the way down the hallway, locking the doors behind her and ensuring that no other soldier followed them. Surprisingly, Clu wasn't anywhere to be found as Beck made his way to the very room the Rogue was being kept in.

Then he recalled what Tron had said to him. He was going to keep Clu distracted, for as long as it took, until Beck sent him the signal that it was all clear. Hopefully, Tron would find a way out of Clu's grasp. Otherwise, everyone was in trouble.

Paige led him to the room where the Rogue was being kept. The nanocycle she slid open the door was when his face fell with sheer horror. Her mask was receded, revealing a face that Beck hadn't seen in hilocycles. His fists clenched when he saw fresh bruises covering her arms and face; some looked more serious than others.

"Is she…"

"She's unconscious," Paige explained as she too saw the User's face and cringed. "What Clu did to her… I wouldn't wish upon anyone. Even an ISO."

Rage boiled within Beck as he knelt down. Paige was oddly quiet throughout the situation, but Beck had a feeling she had a million questions to ask. She was okay, for now. Beck wasn't sure how much longer she would have survived in this place, but it didn't matter. They were breaking her out, now.

Picking her up without causing more injuries was the hardest challenge. Beck had to be careful, because some of the cuts looked more fresh than others. Paige, with all of her medical experience, couldn't do a thing to heal a User's wounds. She looked down at the floor shamefully as she remembered the way Clu had treated the User. To the User's credit, she didn't even scream when he inflicted those injuries.

"I can't believe Clu would do this to her," Beck sighed once they left the room.

Paige dealt with the soldiers who tried stopping them, much to Beck's surprise and relief. She acted without realizing it, knocking one soldier here, derezzing another there. Despite what he thought earlier, at least she was on their side for the time being.

"Clu mentioned that he was going to turn her into the perfect soldier," Paige said, her voice quiet once again as they headed straight for the exit. "He wasn't kidding," she added when she caught the look Beck threw her.

A perfect soldier… Clu wouldn't go to those lengths, would he? Beck had no doubt in his mind that Clu would. After seeing the way Rinzler attacked them, it was plainly obvious that Clu wanted his own personal army.

Beck was just thankful they had gotten here in time, before Clu could get to her in that way. If Clu managed to pull off such a stunt, Beck would have never been able to forgive himself. She'd already suffered enough; she didn't need this kind of treatment.

To his relief, Paige managed to find an exit that led to an alleyway. Beck didn't hesitate to crawl through the exit, though it was harder to maneuver around while carrying the Rogue. Once they were outside, Beck wasted no time in throwing the signal that they were in the clear.

"What was that for?" Paige asked, eyeing Beck suspiciously.

"A friend," Beck replied. "Are you going with us?"

Paige looked at Beck thoughtfully. If she went back to Clu, he would know that she had helped the Renegade break the User free. She'd be dead either way if she went back.

"I won't work with you as another Renegade, but… I can at least go as far as the Outlands," she replied.

Beck nodded at that. At least Paige was willing to compromise. He was more amazed that she had a change of heart than anything else. He studied her curiously as Paige eyed the User warily.

"What changed your mind?" Beck asked, earning a look of surprise from Paige.

She looked at Beck in surprise and shrugged warily.

"Things happened…" Paige let out a sigh and looked down at the ground, as if ashamed to meet his questioning gaze. "Okay, I never used to think Users were worth anything. They're just as bad as ISOs, and don't belong on the Grid. But now… I'm beginning to have second thoughts, especially after what she said." She paused and glanced at nothing in particular. "Even _she_ didn't deserve whatever Clu did to her."

That caught Beck by surprise. The Rogue wouldn't have likely spoken to Paige unless it was a forced conversation. She wasn't the type of User to openly talk to strangers, especially those she saw as the enemy. Beck knew that all too well.

"Wait, she spoke to you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Paige replied with a shrug. "It wasn't much of a conversation… she looked angry beyond reason with me, and I can see why, now. But she said that programs are all the same. Eventually, we would all betray her."

Beck frowned as he thought of what the Rogue had told him all those cycles ago, when they first met. Back then, she was known simply as Mira. Everything was so complicated now. He never realized just how much he cared for her, or the fact that she had left a hole in his heart when she left. Now that she was back in his arms, and his life, Beck wasn't sure if he could let her go so easily.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Paige suddenly asked. Beck looked at her in surprise, and she shrugged it off as if it didn't matter anymore. "It's okay, I'm not angry anymore. Just… confused and frustrated with Clu."

When it was all said and done, Beck wondered if Paige would ever deflect from the army. She wasn't like Clu's soldiers, who followed orders mindlessly. Paige had a heart, and the will to care for those who needed it. She could become a valuable ally in the Uprising.

"Would you ever consider joining the Uprising?" Beck asked, not meeting Paige's expression as he realized he might be stepping over the line.

She was never given a chance to answer. Tron was returning to the meeting place; just a few miles from the coliseum, and Clu's stronghold. And judging by his approach, he was not happy.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Paige said as she stood up. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do to fix whatever damage Clu's done to her. Users recover differently from programs, which complicates things," she added as Tron got closer. "Just make sure that Clu doesn't get his hands on her, again. I really don't want to think of what might happen if he turns her into his personal weapon."

She left it at that, and she left them just as quickly as she had helped them. Beck watched as she disappeared into the traffic, leaving little traces of where she might go. His attention snapped back to Mira when Tron knelt down to check whatever injuries she'd received.

"What happened?" he demanded as Beck stood up, careful not to disturb her in the process.

"We found her like this," Beck explained warily. "You heard what Paige said about Clu's plan?" Tron nodded at that, and Beck's eyebrows furrowed as he wondered just how foolish and cynical Clu could be. "Is it possible for Users to be repurposed?"

"I don't know," Tron admitted. "Clu's scientists might have developed a method that works on Users, and if that's the case, it would end very badly for all of us."

Once Tron was certain it was safe to move with Mira in tow, the three of them made their way to the Outlands. They rode on their light cycles in silence. It was oddly comforting, in a way. Beck was given a chance to think of what would happen once Mira woke up. Would she be willing to stay, or would she run again? He doubted she was in any hurry to see them again. Yet Mira had been willing to give her life to protect Beck and his friends.

"What do we do now?" Beck asked once they had reached their location.

Surprisingly, Clu hadn't taken away her light cycle baton, or the light staff she always kept with her. They were hiding out in a cave that wouldn't be easy for Clu's soldiers to find. Especially when that someone was Mira.

"We leave her," Tron replied, sounding reluctant as his helmet receded. Beck didn't miss the look in his eyes. "She's already suffered enough for one cycle. We don't need to make it worse."

Beck glanced at Mira once again.

"I suppose you make a good point," he sighed after giving it some thought.

She had already been traumatized enough. Maybe it was best to let things lie peacefully, until she was ready to face them.

Tron left her a glass of energy for when she woke up. By the time she did, her energy level would likely be depleted, if it wasn't already. Once that task was finished, they left before she started to stir. Beck was left in awkward silence once again as they headed back to Argon City.

"The Commander helped you," Tron said in accusing tone as they rode side-by-side on their light cycles.

"Uh, yeah… Paige was really upset with what Clu did to her. I think she regretted helping him," Beck explained with a shrug.

"This could all be a trick," Tron warned him. Beck only rolled his eyes, knowing that Tron had every right not to trust Paige for her previous actions. "Are you sure you can trust her?"

"Why not? She trusted me enough to share intel on what Clu wanted to do," Beck told him. "She's not like the other soldiers working for him."

"And you think that justifies trusting her?"

Tron sounded serious as always, and Beck had to think of a way that would make it sound as if he knew what he was talking about. He liked Paige as a friend. At one point, it might have been more than that. There was a time when his feelings for Paige would have gotten in the way of being the Renegade. After the way she handled the situation with rescuing Mira, he knew that there was a way they could sway her to their side.

"Yeah, it does," he replied firmly. "She might have joined the Uprising, if we gave her another chance."

Tron fell silent after that. Beck could have sworn he was thinking of a way to keep Paige from joining them. Luckily, he didn't say anything, and they continued riding on in awkward silence. Truthfully, Beck just wanted to get back to Argon City and hope that everyone was still there. He always had this fear that he would return one mission to find everyone gone. Hopefully, that would never actually happen.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Everything was a blur. The world felt as if it was spinning for what felt like pectrocycles. She didn't realize until blinking that she was dreaming. It was dark. Everything was dark, and everything seemed to have an endless path about it. Mira stood up a little, and tried to get her bearings.

She realized that this was very similar to the nightmares she had suffered from when she was younger. When Clu had held her captive for all those xilacycles. Only something was off. Something was different. Mira tried getting a better view of where she was when she heard voices talking.

"… suffered enough for one cycle…"

It sounded so distant, yet so familiar. Mira strained to understand what was going on. She remembered giving herself up to ensure the safety of Beck and his friends. After that, everything else was a blur.

Mira shook her head and tried to clear it. Immediately, she regretted doing that. As her eyes opened, and her vision began to clear, pain shot everywhere she didn't think possible. It took a split nanocycle for her to remember what Clu did. Now she understood where the pain came from.

Clu used his disk to leave a deep gash across her arm. He'd said it was a reminder of what happens when one defies him. To her surprise though, she hadn't screamed like he was hoping. Instead, she only glared back as he inflicted the worst kind of injuries he could imagine. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was inflicting whatever pain he could on her. She also refused to show any emotion around the tyrant.

A shiver of unease swept through Mira as she stood up once again and tried to ignore the pain. She hated knowing that what Clu did to her made her feel so weak. She looked around, eyes widening in surprise when she saw a glass of energy sitting next to her. Someone had left her here, and that someone was kind enough to leave much needed energy.

 _I think I know who that someone was_ , she thought guiltily. She wondered why Tron or Beck would've left her here, when they were fully aware of what Clu did to her. Maybe that reason alone was why. They knew she wasn't in any hurry to face them.

"It isn't like seeing them again would make a difference, now," she said out loud.

It wasn't like anyone was around to hear her. For once, she was thankful for that as she took a sip of energy, already feeling refreshed as she thought of everything that had happened over the last few cycles. Her mind was still spinning from what had happened.

She would need a new disguise after this. The Rogue was compromised, and she didn't want anyone to know that Shadow had left Tron City. So, she decided to go with one that wouldn't be so subtle. A simple black suit with white and dark yellow circuits. She hated the color yellow, almost as much as she hated red and orange. But, it was better than wearing the older colors.

With that task finished, Mira put her disk back in place and winced as she pulled out her light cycle baton. It seemed like a foolish idea, especially given how close she had been to losing everything at the time. But she _wanted_ to go back to Argon. After seeing the way Clu had marked all those innocent programs just to prove her existence, she felt it was only right she suffer with them.

She wondered what had happened to Rinzler while she was gone. His disappearance left her worrying that something terrible might have happened to him. Rinzler was mischievous enough to escape from his cage and cause chaos throughout the city. She shook her head at the thought, knowing full well that whatever happened, he was in the hands of fate.

Once she turned her baton into a light cycle, Mira headed straight for Argon City. The last time she had made this trip, she was on her way to see how things were going. It felt strange to go back with no mission in mind. Maybe she would consider checking to make sure everyone was safe her new mission.

The trip itself was quick, much to her relief. She didn't run into that much traffic as she passed through Purgos on her way to Argon. Once she had arrived at the entrance of Argon City, she slowed down a little and thought back to how she had first arrived in the city.

That cycle had been difficult. She remembered riding her light cycle through the traffic just to avoid looking suspicious. But it didn't end well when Clu's soldiers found her. She managed to throw them off by driving into the Outlands, where their vehicles would likely malfunction. Unfortunately, hers malfunctioned as well, and that was how she ended up at the garage. It seemed so long ago when it happened, yet it was only a few hilocycles ago that she had first met Beck and Tron.

She shook her head at the thought, realizing that it was all in the past. After everything that had happened, Mira still blamed herself for the most recent events. She knew that none of this would have happened if she wasn't anywhere near Argon City in the first place.

Once she reached Argon Park, Mira relaxed a little and turned her light cycle back into a baton. It seemed like everything was back to normal, for the most part. Programs didn't seem to notice anything different about her. They passed by as if she didn't even exist, and she wasn't sure if she should feel offended or relieved.

"Time to see what sort of mischief I can get into," she said under her breath.

With Clu gone, it gave her the perfect opportunity to give Tesler another major headache. He wasn't going to be prepared for what happened next.

…

In no time, Mira had reached the entrance to Tesler's ship. This reminded her of the many times she and Beck would sneak in and mess with the code inside. She smirked at the memory, reminding herself that they'd been through a lot together.

She decided to strike where Tesler would least suspect it. Right under his ship where everyone could see the message. Once she reached the ship, Mira noticed that something was wrong. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of pixels scattered across the entrance.

What had seemed like a normal cycle made her heart nearly skip a beat in horror. These were the remains of soldiers, most likely derezzed within nanocycles. One thought crossed her mind as she noticed that this was a recent attack: The Renegade wasn't responsible.

 _Beck wouldn't stoop to this level_ , she thought as she knelt down and noticed one object in particular sticking out. Mira's eyes widened as she recognized the device. It was the same object used by Cyrus when he left a message all those cycles ago. Cyrus couldn't possibly be alive, could he? She thought for sure that he was derezzed when Tron strapped those bombs on him.

"I see you've caught my little gift." Sure enough, Cyrus' grating voice sounded through the video feed. "If you're the Renegade, then you'll know why I'm doing this. I've heard from a reliable source that Argon Park is the next target. If you're fast enough, you might be able to stop the bomb in time. If not, then you get the idea."

Cyrus… Mira should've guessed that he would pull off such a stunt, especially with Clu now gone. Her fists clenched with fury as she wondered where exactly the bomb would be planted. Most likely in the least obvious place Cyrus could think of. She glanced over her shoulder one last time, checking to ensure that no one was around to hear that message. The last thing she wanted was for other programs to find out what had happened, though she had a feeling they would find out soon enough.

"You…" Mira froze at the familiar sound of Paige's voice. She whirled around in time to see the Commander staring at the scene before her in horror. "How could you do this?!" she demanded, reaching for her disk and activating it immediately.

"Look, I'm not the one who caused this," Mira snapped. Had Paige already guessed who she was? She prayed that Paige was gullible enough to think she was someone else, like the Renegade wearing another disguise. "Even I wouldn't stoop this low. These programs didn't deserve to die the way they did."

Paige looked at her thoughtfully, and for a moment, Mira thought she might just attack without reason. But Paige deactivated her disk and glared at Mira suspiciously, catching her off guard.

"Okay, suppose you aren't the one behind this attack," she began as she continued locking eyes with Mira. "Then who is? Is it the Renegade?"

Mira rolled her eyes, and was thankful to keep her mask on throughout this situation. The last thing she wanted was to give Paige another reason to attack her. Considering this was Cyrus's fault, she had no doubt he planned something worse than just a bomb in Argon Park. Cooperating with the commander seemed like the most logical thing to do at the moment.

"No, this is someone a bit more sinister than the Renegade," Mira replied with a shake of her head. "He's already threatened the Grid twice, and he's set a bomb in Argon Park. I'm not going to sit around and let him get away with this."

Paige looked at her thoughtfully before nodding in agreement.

"Alright, I agree with you on that," she said warily. "But this doesn't mean I'm going to trust you right away."

Mira nodded in understanding. The feeling was mutual, and Mira knew full well she wouldn't trust the Commander right away. After all, Paige was the reason she was captured in the first place. Mira wouldn't let her guard down around her, not now, and probably not ever.

…

Beck was cruising along the streets of Argon when he noticed a commotion nearby, in Argon Park. He paused for a moment when he saw programs gathered in a semi-circle. The large crowd seemed oblivious to his arrival as he turned his light cycle back into a baton.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"There's a bomb in the center of Argon Park," one program explained, looking at Beck in surprise. "Commander Paige and some random citizen found it."

That caught Beck's attention. He looked in the direction the program was looking at, and realized with a start that Paige was indeed there, along with someone he'd never seen before. This program was around the same height as Paige, with white and yellow circuits. A mask covered their face, making it impossible to recognize who the program was. He pushed his way through the crowd, careful not to stir up trouble until he was able to hear what they were saying.

"If we trigger the failsafe, it's game over," the program he didn't recognize said. At least he could tell she was female, and definitely someone who sounded familiar. "We have to do this as carefully as possible."

"And if you do trigger the failsafe? What happens then?" Paige asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied the program cautiously.

"Then it won't matter if you trust me or not," the program replied in a tone that implied so much more. The program worked at a surprisingly fast pace, pulling up a series of codes that even Beck found too complex to read. Paige's eyes widened in amazement as she sifted through the mass, pulling apart the strands until there was little to nothing left. "There, that should buy us enough time to stop the bomb itself."

" _Should_?" Paige repeated with a roll of her eyes. "Here, let me see if any of my training kicks in." The program moved aside, shoulders still tense as Paige went to work stopping the bomb itself. In a matter of nanocycles, Paige was able to stop the bomb from exploding, just before it reached the final countdown. Both programs let out sighs of relief once she was finished, and Beck realized that the crowd had already started to leave. "Beck? What are you doing here?" Paige asked when she noticed him standing there.

Beck stiffened just as the female program had, and he could see just how tense both she and Paige were. Great, now he needed to come up with some excuse for being here. He wasn't wearing his Renegade disguise like he should have. Then again, that would've drawn too much attention. The last thing he wanted was to give Paige an excuse to attack him, along with every other program watching them.

"I, uh… I… was just on my way to the club," he lied, hoping that would be enough of an excuse for Paige.

"Whatever." Paige brushed it off as if it was nothing before looking at the female program. "I suppose I owe you an apology. Whoever did this was responsible for killing all of those soldiers."

Beck's eyes widened in alarm at that. Now that was information that could have been useful a few microcycles ago. Tron had received an alert that something was going on within the city, but they both assumed it was something along the lines of what just happened.

"You're welcome," the female program replied, her voice strangely bitter. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lunatic to track down."

Beck rose an eyebrow at that, already having a feeling he knew just what or who the program was talking about.

She didn't give Paige a chance to respond as she pulled out a baton and turned it into a light cycle. Once she took off in the direction of the city, Beck was left standing in front of Paige in awkward silence.

"What was that about?" Paige asked, looking in the direction the program had taken off in.

"I think I have a good idea," Beck replied, his voice so quiet that Paige didn't hear.

He decided it was best to leave before she got too suspicious of his presence there. Paige was already on edge from working alongside that program. If she was after who Beck thought she was after, then she would need all the help she could get.

After putting on the Renegade disguise, Beck followed the trail that the program had taken just nanocycles ago on his own light cycle. He had a feeling he knew exactly who was responsible for the attack on Tesler's ship, and the bomb in Argon Park. If the program was after said target, Beck knew she wouldn't last long. His last encounter with said target didn't end well, with everyone blaming him for what had happened afterword's.

Fortunately, tracking her down wasn't all that difficult. The target she had in mind made that part easy. Beck was careful not to give himself away. The program was probably on a mission of her own to ensure that her target didn't get suspicious.

The program had already reached a fire escape leading to the building where he and Tron usually met at the beginning of each cycle. Beck narrowed his eyes as he wondered just where this program was getting at. He noticed someone was standing at the very top of the building, wearing a cloak to keep their face hidden. Once Beck reached the roof, he could hear what the program waiting for them was saying.

"You really are just as persistent as I remember." Cyrus. Beck glared at Cyrus as he lifted his head and eyed the program standing a few feet away. "Though, I have to admit, I was hoping we would see each other again."

"And you're just as insane as I remember," the program snapped as she reached for her disk and activated it. "You're no better than Clu or his soldiers."

"Am I? Well, we'll see about that. I've heard from reliable sources that the image of the Renegade is currently being remade," Cyrus sneered, looking in Beck's direction. "Speaking of which, I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

"I liked it better when Tron said you were dead," Beck retorted, ignoring the unease crawling through him.

If the program was who he thought she was, then she would reveal herself when she felt ready. He wasn't going to force her.

"Now what fun would that be?" Cyrus asked, chuckling with amusement when he noticed Beck's fists clenching with fury. "I've got big plans for the future, and for that, I need your cooperation."

Neither Beck nor the program were able to comprehend what Cyrus meant by that when he suddenly launched his attack. The program reacted faster than Beck thought possible, throwing her arms in a defensive position as Cyrus threw out a roundhouse kick. Beck was about to brace himself when Cyrus threw something in his direction, before throwing the same object at the program who managed to pin him down. The moment the object hit his chest was when a surge of electricity went through him, and then everything went black.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Pain stabbed in her back when Mira struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was still blurry as she tried taking in her surroundings. She wasn't expecting to find herself strapped in some chair, in a dark room. Or to find herself not alone. Almost at once, she tried struggling against the restraints holding her down. This felt like some horrible nightmare, just like all the others, where Clu would hold her down for good measure and torture her.

"Good, I'm glad to see you're awake." Cyrus. Mira's eyes narrowed with hate as he hovered in front of her. "You're a lot stronger than the Renegade… which surprises me. I wonder just what Clu did to you while you were his captive?"

"What exactly do you plan to do with us?" Mira demanded, her voice like chips of ice.

Yet, Cyrus's words hung in the back of her mind.

What exactly did Clu do to her while she was unconscious? She could hardly remember a thing back in the Coliseum before she was rescued by Beck and Tron. A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought. She knew that he was capable of doing many things that would make a program wish they had been derezzed. And often times, she suddenly wished that she could share the same fate as a program. Unfortunately, Clu was the least of her problems at the moment.

Cyrus didn't waver; he merely smirked in amusement and gestured to the chair she was strapped to. His cruel gaze didn't budge as he kept an eye on both herself and the other program strapped on the other side of the chair.

"You really haven't guessed it, have you?" he chuckled, sending chills through Mira. "I'm using your energy, along with the Renegade's, to create the ultimate bomb. What I failed to do before, I will succeed this time."

"You really are a lunatic," she hissed under her breath.

Once again, Cyrus only grinned. Mira really wished she could slap that smirk off his sorry face. The last thing she wanted was to be used as an energy source for a bomb. She wasn't even sure how that would work, given the fact that she was a User. Obviously, Cyrus had his ways. When he had been in his prison, he had likely done his research before Beck showed up. Beck's arrival had also likely been part of Cyrus' plans. She could only imagine how long it had taken for Cyrus to figure out what needed to be done.

It didn't take long for Beck to come to. Mira could hear him groaning in pain. Her mind was still trying to figure a way out of this mess when he started panicking, struggling against his restraints until Cyrus started talking to him. She rolled her eyes as she realized this was just Cyrus' way of getting some enjoyment in his life. He was just as bad as Pavel, if not worse, when it came to watching those around him suffer.

Mira tried to block out whatever Cyrus was saying to Beck. Anything he said was just another attempt at getting under their skins. She had to block him out. She had to find a way out of this mess. They couldn't suffer at the hands of Cyrus.

Her fists clenched as she tried pulling at the restraints. That wasn't doing much good, and the straps were digging into her wrists. The moment Cyrus stopped talking was when the pain started. She didn't have time to brace herself for it, or the amount of memories she would have to face again.

The first images that came through were that of her past on the Grid. Images of what she had gone through before she was captured by Clu came rushing by. Soon, those were replaced with images of what her life had been like when Clu captured her. Her teeth ground together as another surge of pain coursed through her, this time stronger than before. Mira's eyes widened in panic as she started remembering her life in the Real World.

Old memories that she would have rather kept hidden came rushing back at full force. She found herself at the orphanage where she was raised until a foster family took her in. Those first couple of years had been hectic, and they had been a desperate attempt at finding a real family. But the images began to fade away as she saw herself wandering around Flynn's Arcade, where everything went downhill after that. And other memories began surfacing after those. Her heart was racing by the time she realized that they were Beck's memories. Images of what his life had been like prior to arriving in Argon City suddenly began to resurface. Along with other images she would have rather forgotten.

"You have to fight it!"

Mira flinched at the sound of Beck's voice. Once again, her fists clenched as a fresh wave of determination swept over her. She wasn't going to let Cyrus use her as a bomb. She wasn't going to let him continue terrorizing everyone. He'd already caused so much trauma across the Grid. His presence was like a virus wherever he wandered. She knew that he wouldn't stop until everyone they cared about either got destroyed or suffered the same trauma they suffered from.

It took all of her strength to break free of the straps holding her down. By the time she did, the machine was staring to break apart behind her as the Renegade did the same. The machine had collapsed just as they both jumped out of the way, avoiding the explosion that followed. A shiver swept through her when she realized just how close they had been to meeting the same fate as the machine in question. Clouds of smoke were still fuming from where it crashed when she heard footsteps from behind.

"Oh, you idiots!" Mira scowled at the sound of Cyrus' voice. Sure enough, the program in question was standing directly behind them. She whirled around in time to see him charging straight for them, but the Renegade got in the way. "I'm going to take everything away from you, everything you've ever cared about!"

"Not this time, _Cy_ ," the Renegade snapped.

What happened next caught Mira off guard. A grenade was thrown in Cyrus' direction, the impact sending a jolt of electricity through him. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to react when she realized that someone had been looking out for them after all.

"Go, now!"

Mira looked up in time to see a familiar black-suited figure approaching them. Once again, she was thankful to have her mask on as the Renegade suddenly grabbed hold of her and started running. Despite the terror from earlier, Mira was not going to let the Renegade drag her around like she was some helpless program. Besides, he'd seen her memories if she was able to see his. He would know right from the moment their memories started who she was.

She wrenched her hand out of his and took the lead, running as fast as she could out of the building they were being kept in. She didn't even want to know how Tron found them, or what he was doing there in the first place. Cyrus was long behind them as they ran through a narrow tunnel until finding light ahead. Relief swept through her the moment she saw the light flooding through that tunnel.

It didn't take Mira long to recognize the streets of Argon once more. They emerged into an alleyway not far from their previous location. The building around them was starting to crumble apart, bits and data of code derezzing from the bomb Cyrus had tried using. Lightning streaked across the sky when she looked up, almost as if signaling the dark events that just happened.

Mira glanced over her shoulder one last time to make sure the Renegade was okay, before making a break for it. She should have known better than to go after Cyrus herself. But she was blinded with anger and grief. She'd allowed her emotions to get the better of her, exactly what Tron had trained them not to do. Whatever the reasons behind taking such risks, Mira wasn't going to forgive herself for putting not only her life in danger, but everyone else's as well. Either way, she wasn't in any hurry to face them again.

…

Beck hardly noticed the program slip away when he reached the city. A pang of worry and exhaustion clouded his thoughts as he slipped through the crowd of programs. They were oblivious to the trauma he and the other program had suffered just microcycles ago. To make things worse, he wasn't even sure if Tron had survived the fight either. He knew Tron would more than likely survive the fight in question, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

He was more than angry with himself for believing he could take on Cyrus on his own. He'd acted purely out of instinct when Cyrus threw his disk towards the female program. And it wasn't until the memories started flashing across his vision that he registered who that program in question was.

His thoughts churned with anxiety as he realized that Mira had suffered from far more than she let on. Seeing her when she was younger had been enough of a reminder how vulnerable Users really were. And to know that she had been punished for her very existence on both the Grid and the Real World left him feeling that much guiltier. She never did anything to deserve the treatment she was given while on the Grid. Programs treated Mira as if she was some kind of virus that needed to be wiped out.

 _No one deserves to be treated that way_ , he reminded himself silently.

He should have known that she would try and fight Cyrus on her own just like he had. Her sheer determination to take down the insane program had led to their ultimate fight. And Beck knew that Cyrus had taken advantage of their emotions just like Tron always would. His fists clenched at the thought. He of all programs should have known better than to allow his emotions to control his actions.

"Beck." He cringed at the familiar sound of Tron's disguised voice. He whirled around in time to see the security program leaning against the wall of a building, arms crossed and looking exhausted. "We need to talk, now."

 _Yeah, no kidding_ , Beck thought with a roll of his eyes. He'd replaced his Renegade suit with his normal one after reaching the city. It was better not to stand out at a time like this. Everyone was tense since the showdown with Clu a few cycles ago. He had a feeling that programs could feel the rumblings of that bomb as well. He was surprised that no one bothered running around to investigate what had led to the most recent tremors. Though, with everything that had happened, a few tremors were probably nothing.

He had a few questions of his own about whether or not Cyrus was really dead. Or if he would be back for round three. Either way, Beck needed to be prepared, and if they ever found her again, Mira had a right to know as well. Cyrus was bent on destroying the Grid, and everyone on it, including himself.

Once they reached their secret meeting place, Beck thought back to the way Mira had handled Cyrus once again. She acted just like any other program would, with cold precision. And she had managed to pin Cyrus down, even if it was only for a nanocycle. Maybe what Cyrus said about her was true: She was stronger than him, even if she didn't like to admit it. And that left Beck wondering just how many secrets she had been hiding from them when they first met. It was clear that Mira hadn't been entirely truthful when she mentioned being captured by Clu.

"What happened back there?" Tron asked the moment they were alone and on top of the building.

"Cyrus got the better of me," Beck sighed in exasperation. "I thought we had him, but—"

" _We_?" Tron repeated, and Beck held back a groan of annoyance.

Tron must have seen Mira with him, otherwise he wouldn't have been so quick to jump in and stop Cyrus. After the last encounter they had with Cyrus, Beck couldn't blame Tron for wanting to intervene. The insane program was one of the many reasons she left them in the first place. Though, Beck knew that a lot of it had also been his own behavior towards her. She felt more responsible for what had happened to him and his friends than ever during Cyrus' attack.

"He took advantage of us. I should've seen it coming, but… I failed, again," he finished.

Tron let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose when his helmet collapsed. Beck knew that he messed up big, this time. He didn't want to think of what would happen if Cyrus was successful in using that bomb. Knowing that Cyrus managed to create another bomb similar to the one in his prison left Beck's mind reeling with anger and worry. The insane program would more than likely continue these attacks if he wasn't stopped.

"The good news is, you both made it out alive," Tron said after taking a deep breath and recollecting his thoughts. "The bad news, Cyrus got away, again."

Beck stared at Tron in alarm when he said that.

It really shouldn't have surprised him by this point that Cyrus had gotten away. Given the insane program's history, Cyrus was probably capable of slipping out of anyone's grasp. It gave Cyrus yet another attempt at ruining their lives, in more ways than one.

"How exactly are we supposed to stop Cyrus when everyone's already on high alert as it is?" Beck groaned as he looked out across the city.

He doubted there was any easy way out of this. Cyrus would do anything he could to make them miserable, or some other poor soul. Either way, he wasn't satisfied until everyone became his victim.

"If what you said about her is true, then I'm sure she's going to try tracking him down again," Tron said thoughtfully. Beck raised an eyebrow in surprise at that. "Which means we'll have to track him down faster." He paused to let this sink in, and Beck realized that this meant he'd be working even harder to make sure that she didn't find Cyrus first. "I'll keep an eye out, for the time being. Beck, you need a break."

Beck didn't miss the seriousness in his voice. Tron rarely gave him time off unless it was serious. He must have known that something was wrong. He decided to heed Tron's warning, this time. The last thing the Grid needed was for the Renegade to pass out from lack of energy, or from a fight against Cyrus.

He decided to spend his time off at the garage and work on whatever projects Able had in store for him. Working at the garage was one of his favorite distractions from his other job as the Renegade. Fixing light cycles had become more of a hobby than a job, though. As much as Beck hated to admit it, being the Renegade had pretty much taken over his life.

On very few occasions did he get the chance to spend time with his friends, if he could even call them that. Mara may have lightened up since Able's miraculous recovery, but that didn't mean she wasn't suspicious of his odd behavior. She often accused him of being lazy and incompetent as a coworker. Usually, it was done behind his back when she thought he wasn't listening. She wasn't the only one to do so either.

It was better not to think about it. None of them understood what it was like to live a double-life, or to risk their lives. Being the Renegade was kind of a thankless job. But it was worth it when he was able to rescue innocent programs from Clu's clutches. He would've never gotten to know Mira had he not taken on Tron's offer either. So, in a way, it was worth the risks.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

In all of the xilacycles she had lived, Paige never thought for one nanocycle that she would turn against the Occupation, or Clu. She, who was always determined to prove her loyalty to the utmost, had betrayed Clu by freeing that User. In turn, she had betrayed General Tesler and lost any respect she had as a Commander. She doubted Tesler would be in a forgiving mood once he found out from Clu what had happened. It was almost a certainty that Clu would know she was responsible for _helping_ the _Renegade_ free that User.

She scowled at the thought.

Maybe it was better not to go back. All of those soldiers who were derezzed were the victims of some lunatic who disguised himself as the Renegade. She had learned that much. The program who warned her about the bomb shared little to no information about him. But she suspected he would strike again. If he was anything like the program described, he would ensure that every other program was miserable on the Grid.

Paige wondered if it would be wise to warn Tesler of these events, if he had survived the slaughter. She hadn't even thought of that until now, and her eyes widened with horror. General Tesler may have his bad days, but he wasn't anywhere near as bad as Pavel. If Tesler fell at the hands of that insane program, Pavel would likely take over. She couldn't let that happen.

That gave her the courage to face whatever wrath would be faced upon her return. With a new resolve, Paige headed straight for Tesler's ship. She knew she couldn't stay away forever, especially given the overwhelming fear that Tesler might be gone.

She arrived at the base about half a pectrocycle later. Paige stared at the base in surprise, finding little to nothing of the evidence from just a cycle ago. Someone had already swept away the remains of dead programs. Soldiers who had followed Tesler's commands with such loyalty that they were willing to give their lives.

It was better not to think of the lives that were lost over the last few cycles. Paige made her way towards the throne room where Tesler was hopefully waiting. To her surprise, and to her relief, she found him sharing a few words with Pavel when she arrived. She waited until he was finished before making an entrance, knowing full well that it was not wise to interrupt the General.

"My dear Paige, I was wondering when you would return," Pavel said with a sly grin as he noticed her.

Paige resisted the urge to glare back. Nothing about Pavel made her feel right. He was the kind of program who would go out of the way to ensure his own survival. He was nothing more than a cynical coward who kissed up to anyone with more power than himself.

"Pavel, I would like to have a word with Paige, alone."

Paige didn't miss the way Pavel stiffened at Tesler's command, or the scowl that followed. He recovered as soon as he turned and bowed to Tesler.

"Of course, General Tesler."

The microcycle Pavel was gone, Paige felt the tension leave with him. Her shoulders sagged with relief as she looked at General Tesler, hoping that she was still in his good grace.

"Sir, I'm sorry for not returning sooner. Something came up at Argon Park—"

"I'm fully aware of what happened at Argon Park," Tesler cut her off with a wave of her hand, and it took everything she had not to flinch under his piercing gaze. General Tesler always had a way of making himself look intimidating to her. "What happened at Argon Park was not your fault, but that of the Renegade. He alone is responsible, not only for that incident, but what happened outside this ship."

Paige stiffened at that. She'd heard from what seemed like a reliable source that another program was responsible for these recent attacks. The Renegade was known for helping programs, not destroying them. Yet, as she thought about it, she realized that Clu's assumption of the Renegade's reign of terror might be true. She hadn't realized up until than just how conflicted her feelings for the Renegade were.

"If I may, sir, I would like to make it my personal goal to find out where the Renegade is hiding, and question him myself," Paige replied, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

She wanted to hear from the Renegade himself whether he was responsible for what had happened. Despite the fact that she believed Tesler, she knew that there was something else going on. As far as she was aware, the Renegade stood for free-will. And if that was the case, then he wouldn't have derezzed all of those soldiers. He'd never derezzed anyone before, so why would he start now?

For a moment, she was afraid he would actually derezz her right then and there. The look on his face told her that she had crossed the line by challenging his authority. She hadn't meant to assert herself like this. But if Pavel went after the Renegade, he would derezz first and ask questions later.

"Let me make this clear," Tesler began as he stood up from his seat and walked towards her. Paige braced herself for the threats that would follow, or worse, the pain. "It's your job as _my_ Commander to capture the Renegade. But it is _my_ job to extract any information he has on these attacks."

"Y-Yes, of course, sir," Paige replied, wincing at her own stupidity.

She shouldn't have said anything at all. But Tesler wasn't making any moves to derezz her. Instead, he'd given her the simple command of capturing the Renegade and bringing him straight to the ship. She could do that much, at least.

 _But that doesn't mean I won't do some investigating of my own_ , she added silently. She wanted to know who was responsible for those recent attacks. Renegade or not, he would answer to General Tesler eventually. For now, she wanted to do this her own way.

…

Everything was dark. For a while, he couldn't feel or _see_ anything. It was just like when Cyrus had captured him not even a cycle ago. Only this time, the nanocycle his eyes managed to open, Beck felt a searing pain run across his arms.

He tried to remember what had happened after returning to the garage. Everyone fled the scene after an alarm went off. Able wasn't around, and none of his friends stuck around to see if he'd made it out. Beck was all alone, and the pain he felt was almost unbearable.

When his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, Beck saw someone standing there, not far from where he was seated. The moment he caught sight of that someone was when he began to panic. The program only smirked at his struggles, a look of amusement flashing across his face as he approached Beck.

"Did you really think I would let you go _that_ easily, Beck?" Cyrus sneered as he knelt over Beck. He reached out with his hands and slammed Beck's head against a wall, that smirk never leaving as he glared at the mechanic. "I really do enjoy watching you suffer. But that's not the reason you're here. I'm after someone else, someone who's going to suffer a much worse punishment."

Beck's eyes widened with horror as he realized who Cyrus was referring to. That gave him enough resolve to fight back. He managed to break free of whatever was holding him down, and he gave Cyrus a good punch in the face for good measures.

"I won't let you hurt her, not now, not ever!" he snapped as Cyrus staggered back from the impact.

"Well, I guess that does prove my theory. You really _do_ care about that little User." He flinched at the accusing tone. Did he really care that much? Mira had left him, and Tron. She didn't bother showing her face around them, even after they had rescued her again. "Users don't belong on the Grid, and I'm going to prove it."

"Why are you doing this?" Beck demanded, trying to keep his own voice steady as an overwhelming sense of fear swept through him.

He didn't want to think of what Cyrus would do to her once he got a hold of her. It was bad enough he'd seen what Clu did to her. Every instinct in his body kept telling him to fight back and make sure that Cyrus's hands never got a hold of Mira. While she was fully capable of fighting back and would have likely given Cyrus a taste of his own attacks, that didn't mean he would allow it.

"I've already told you," Cyrus began as he raised his activated disk. He had Beck cornered, and he'd never felt more helpless than now as Cyrus drew his disk across his arm. "The end of the Renegade is near."

He let out a cry of pain when Cyrus' disk left a huge gash across his arm. Pixels were already scattering across the floor from where Cyrus had cut him. It took everything in his willpower to fight back. His fists clenched as he leaned forward to avoid getting hit by the disk again. Cyrus was still grinning like a maniac when Beck managed to wrench himself free from whatever was holding him down.

He glared at Cyrus before punching him with his other arm. Cyrus only ducked to avoid the punch before grabbing hold of his other arm. Beck's eyes widened in panic when Cyrus smirked and drew his disk across it, leaving a second wound. This time, Beck felt powerless to fight back as an overwhelming sense of dread swept through him.

Was this what it felt like to derezz? The pain was unimaginable. Beck wondered if this was what Mira had felt when facing the wrath of Clu. No, he had a feeling that what she felt was far worse than anything Cyrus could ever inflict on them. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the end, hoping that maybe he would get to see Bodhi again, and everyone else he had met as the Renegade.

"Beck!"

The nanocycle he heard his name being called was when Beck sat up and grabbed hold of whoever was standing over him. Beck acted without thinking, throwing the victim across his bed. The program who called his name groaned in pain, and Beck realized with a start that it was Zed who woke him up. Carefully, Beck sat up and looked at Zed in alarm when he saw his coworker rubbing his sore back.

"Zed, I'm sorry," he apologized after realizing he must have acted on sheer instinct.

"I'm alright… I was just worried about you, since you were screaming in sleep mode," Zed informed him after standing up.

Beck couldn't help but ruffle the back of his hair in embarrassment at Zed's remark. It wasn't uncommon for him to suffer from nightmares since becoming the Renegade. But that nightmare had felt more realistic than he would have admitted out loud. The thought of what Cyrus did to him and how the insane program threatened everyone he cared about sent shivers of dread through him.

"I'm fine," he lied, hoping Zed would buy it. "It was just a nightmare."

"Your _arm_ sure doesn't look fine," Zed pointed out as he looked down at Beck's arms. It took Beck a few nanocycles to figure out what Zed referred to, and he realized that his arm was covered in a fresh cut. "What the heck were you doing in your sleep?"

"I don't know how this happened," Beck answered honestly.

The cuts that Cyrus left were real. His mind was still struggling to comprehend what just happened in his dream when he realized that Cyrus was a serious threat not only while he was awake, but when he was asleep as well.

"You should probably see a medic about that," Zed warned him.

"It'll be fine, I promise," Beck reassured him, though the pain was indeed real.

Beck tried to ignore it as he followed Zed to the main room where several ships and light cycles were being worked on. A tank was also in one of the work-spaces, with Mara, Copper and Dash working together on it.

Beck tried to focus on his work, though that task alone was almost impossible as the pain became too much. He was already on his third light cycle when Able decided to approach him. Mara and the others were finished with the tank when they walked past.

"Beck, we need to talk, now," Able ordered in a stern tone. Beck eyed him cautiously, noticing the way Mara, Copper and Dash were listening intently to whatever Able had to tell him. "In my office," he added, glaring at the three mechanics.

"Huh, I wonder if Able's finally going to fire him," Copper wondered out loud.

"Wouldn't surprise me, considering how lazy he's been," Dash put in.

Their voices were barely a whisper, but Beck could hear them loud and clear. Beck narrowed his eyes when he caught the accusing look Mara was giving him. She couldn't have known about his nightmare, or she wouldn't be giving him such a look. No, she was still angry with him for the fact that he had argued against Mira's capture.

Mara was still suffering from what had happened back there. Beck couldn't blame her for that. So many programs had suffered because of his mistakes. Lately, that was all he ever seemed to make. Maybe Copper and Dash were right about him being lazy and incompetent. But, that wouldn't stop him from doing what he was best at.

The moment they were inside Able's office was when Beck deflated. He was so worked up on what had happened recently that he didn't get the chance to relax. Able must have noticed that something was wrong. He always seemed to know.

"Beck, I'm giving you the next few cycles off," Able informed him once they were seated.

Beck's eyes widened in alarm as Able's words only just dawned on him.

"What? Why?"

"Because you need it," Able replied with a shrug. His eyes narrowed with concern as he noticed that Beck was trying to hide his arms. "What happened to your arms?"

"I-I really don't know," he admitted halfheartedly. He looked down at the floor as memories of that nightmare came rushing back. "I had a nightmare that I was getting derezzed, and I woke up with these." He gestured to the cuts on his arms, and Able's eyes widened in alarm. "I don't know how it happened, either."

"Beck, this is more serious than I realized," Able sighed as he got a closer look at the cuts. "You need to let 'You-Know-Who' know about this. He might have an idea as to what's going on here."

Beck looked at Able in alarm, and was fully aware that this was a lot more serious than he thought. If he wanted Tron to have a look at these wounds, then maybe he should follow Able's advice. Beck let out a sigh after realizing that no matter what, he would never really get a break from work.

"I sure hope you're right about him knowing what's happening," he muttered crossly.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Mira's hands were still shaking with dread as she studied the images written across the screens she pulled up. Despite the limitations she had of living in a cave, Mira was still capable of pulling up files and recordings left by recent events. One such recording sent shivers of horror through her.

The Renegade was all over the wanted screens in Argon City. She could clearly see the 'T' mark on his chest. What she saw next made her stomach lurch.

A medical center in Argon City was completely destroyed. Nothing was left behind, and there were no survivors. Mira knew full well that this wasn't the real Renegade. He wouldn't go to such lengths. With Cyrus still on the loose, it was obvious he was the one responsible behind these attacks. What bothered her more than anything was how smug Cyrus probably looked at this destruction.

She quickly closed the screen and thought of how to handle the situation. The last time she went after Cyrus, it didn't end well. Memories of that recent event were still fresh. Cyrus had tried using her and the Renegade as a bomb to blow up Argon City, and while he failed in doing that, he didn't fail in causing more destruction.

The orange lights of Argon glowed eerily calm as Mira made her way towards the city on her light cycle. Once again, it was bustling with activity. Programs who weren't aware of the destruction went on with their lives. Those who found out were quickly spreading the word. Mira made sure to put on her disguise and hide her face with a mask – the last thing she wanted was for anyone to recognize her.

The first place she thought of searching for any clues was Able's garage. The Renegade couldn't possibly be responsible for this destruction. She knew in her heart that he wasn't capable of it. So the first thing to do was find his friends and ask them where he was the previous cycle.

Sure enough, she found Mara and Zed talking quietly as they worked on a few light cycles. Zed noticed her arrival first, and he tapped Mara lightly on the shoulder. Mira stiffened when both programs looked at her curiously.

She wasn't one to trust so easily, even if they were Beck's friends. While they had treated her like any other program when they first met, she had no doubt they would turn her in within nanocycles if they found out the truth. Especially after their reaction when she had given herself up. The same went with Beck.

"Have you seen Beck recently?" she asked after letting out a tiny cough.

Mara's eyes narrowed at the mention of Beck, while Zed rose an eyebrow in concern.

"No, actually. Able gave him a few cycles off, for some reason," Zed explained.

"Yeah, because we don't have enough work to do," Mara added bitterly.

This time, it was Mira's turn to narrow her eyes. Mara was usually an upbeat program who always found something to smile about. That was one reason Mira had admired the mechanic. Her normally carefree attitude was something that she wished she felt. But it looked as though that had changed.

Mira chewed the bottom of her lip as she recalled what had happened to them just a few cycles ago. Mara had been threatened with a disk for the sake that she would give herself up. She couldn't help but feel guilty that these innocent programs had suffered because of her.

 _I can't blame them for not wanting to trust me_ , she thought bitterly. _But that doesn't mean I'll trust them_. _Trust is something that has to be earned, and they haven't given me any reason to trust them_.

"Why? Do you know him?" Zed asked after throwing Mara a warning look.

"Yeah… you could say we're old friends," Mira replied with a shrug. "Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

She hoped Beck would've at least left those details, though knowing him, he wouldn't want his friends to know where he was. He was a stubborn program, and if anything had happened to him, she didn't doubt that he wouldn't want them worrying about him.

"I'm afraid not," Zed replied cautiously. "He just disappeared right after talking to Able."

Mira nodded at that, taking note that it was likely he would be with Tron. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. The last thing she wanted was an encounter with Tron. She knew a confrontation with Tron was inevitable, but she had no idea how it would go.

"Thanks," she said before looking at Mara. "You know; you shouldn't be so hard on him. Beck's been through a lot more than you could ever imagine," she added, her tone deadly serious as she glared at the mechanic.

Mara opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Instead, she scowled and looked away. Zed's look of surprise turned to one of concern, but Mira left before he could ask what she meant by that. Now, it was a matter of finding Beck out on the streets.

She passed an alley when she heard a cry of pain, making her stiffen in surprise. Wariness swept through her as she looked over her shoulder. Able's garage was only a few feet away from her, now. If anyone had heard that cry, they probably wouldn't bother checking to find the source of it. She reached for her light staff, just in case. This could just as easily be another trap set up by Tesler, or Cyrus. Either way, she wasn't taking her chances.

What she saw next made her stomach lurch with horror. Pixels were scattered along the ground, leaving a trail. Mira tried not to think of what pain this unfortunate program was going through. To slowly derezz was far more painful than just derezzing on the spot. Then her eyes widened even more, if that were possible, when she saw who the victim was.

 _What in the Users_ … Mira realized with a start that Beck's wrists had some kind of mark on them after his first encounter with Cyrus. She had always assumed that it was corrupt data, when Cyrus tried using him as a bomb the first time. So after strapping him to the chair for a second time, it likely increased the damaged code and ensured a slow, painful deresolution. She knelt down so that she was within eye-level of him, and Beck's eyes widened in panic when he realized he wasn't alone.

"Don't," he hissed after trying to hide his injuries.

That only caused more pixels to scatter along the ground. Mira only shook her head in grim amusement. Typical Beck, refusing to accept help when he needed it the most. As she got a closer look at the damaged code, she noticed that the code had somehow turned into a virus, affecting his healing abilities.

"It's okay," she reassured him in a calm voice. "I'm here to help, but I'll need to see your disk."

Beck shot her a 'really' look, and Mira understood all too well what he was referring to. The last time his disk was stolen, he'd almost lost his memories. She knew that it was difficult to trust someone he thought was a complete stranger. It was easy to take advantage of a program in pain, and she hated even thinking of doing that.

Eventually, he gave in and reluctantly handed her his disk. The nanocycle he did was when she went to work extracting the damaged code. Sure enough, a virus was infecting his system. But it wasn't like the Abraxas virus, which had infected any program he touched. This was far more painful than that.

It didn't surprise her that Cyrus would take such cruel lengths to make Beck's life that much more miserable. What did surprise her was the amount of failsafe's Tron installed. She had to be careful not to trigger them, because Beck would become comatose if she did. Once she was able to sift her way through the failsafe's, she found the source of the virus and wiped it out. Beck's eyes widened in relief when his wounds began to heal.

"The virus crippled your healing ability," she explained after handing him back his disk. "You're lucky to be alive; someone clearly wanted you out of the picture, and they were willing to make it as painful as possible."

"Thanks… how do you know all of this?" Beck asked, watching her carefully as she stood up and stepped back.

"Healing was just one of the many things I was programmed for," she replied in a tone that indicated so much more. Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise as she took another step back into the darkness. "I help programs who were hurt by the Occupation."

She turned and started to leave when she thought of the reason behind finding Beck in the first place. Taking a deep breath, she knew that she would have to talk to him sooner or later. At least he didn't seem to suspect anything was off about her. That made things a little easier, but only just.

"Do you know who I am?" Beck asked, his voice quieter this time.

He knew she was still there, and Mira stiffened as she thought of an answer that wouldn't send him running in the opposite direction.

"I do." Her voice was so quiet that she wasn't sure if Beck had heard her. "Look, I want to know why the Renegade has been causing trouble in the city. A medical center in Argon was recently destroyed, and his face is plastered on all of the wanted signs."

Beck's eyes widened in alarm at that. That only confirmed Mira's worst fears. Cyrus really was an insane lunatic. The medical center was the only thing keeping programs from derezzing on the streets. With that area gone, there wouldn't be much hope for them.

"I know the Rogue isn't behind this," Beck said thoughtfully, trying to keep his voice steady. Mira flinched at the mention of her alter-ego. The Rogue wasn't going to show her face around here anytime soon. Not when everyone knew she was a User. "I know only one program who's capable of doing this."

"I thought so," Mira replied with a nod. "So, if Cyrus is behind these recent attacks, maybe it's time to finally teach him a lesson."

While their last encounter hadn't ended well, Mira was itching for a final round with Cyrus. Beck stared at her in surprise when he realized that she was being serious. He let out a sigh and looked down at the ground, losing any look of determination he had earlier.

"I wish it was that easy," he muttered crossly. "Even I couldn't track him down, and that was with the help of an old friend. When we finally found him, it ended… badly."

Mira flinched once again as she recalled the last encounter, which had ended in them getting strapped to some mad scientist's chair and being used as bombs.

"True," she began, earning another look of surprise. "But if we work together, we might actually stand a chance against him. Cyrus needs to be stopped, once and for all. And I'm not going to sit around and wait for someone to become his next victim."

Beck stared at her for what felt like cycles. She realized with a start that he must have recognized something about the way she spoke. The raw determination to help innocent programs, programs who had no idea just how insane Cyrus really was, from becoming his next victims. She hated knowing that Cyrus was still out there, and willing to do whatever it took to see through to his goals.

A few microcycles of awkward silence passed until Beck finally nodded in agreement. It would be strange, to work together again. Mira didn't want to admit it, but she missed working alongside the Renegade. Their attacks were always more coordinates when they knew what the other was thinking. This was the next best thing.

…

Confusion and surprise swept over Beck as the program leaped from building to building with ease. Something about the way they jumped from one building to the other looked familiar. Once again, he was reminded of the way Mira had moved with such ease. For someone who was a User, she was very flexible and agile. He suspected xilacycles of being on the Grid would do that to just about anyone.

By now, they were far enough from the garage that they wouldn't noticed. The last thing Beck wanted was for Able to see what they were up to. His boss might not be too thrilled with the idea of him taking Cyrus on for a fourth time. Of course, Able wasn't aware of their last encounter, which was probably a good thing.

"He should be close by," the program said as she held up a map of some kind.

Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise at the strange object. Tron had a much bigger version of the map in the safehouse; how this program was able to pull something like that up was beyond him.

"Looking for someone?" Both of them flinched at the familiar sound of Cyrus' voice. Beck's eyes narrowed into slits as he spotted Cyrus standing on the other side of the building they were standing on. The fact that Cyrus had infected his system with a virus made him all the angrier. "I didn't realize I was so popular."

The program that Beck had followed turned to face Cyrus. A shiver of unease crawled through Beck when he noticed the sly look Cyrus was giving the program. Cyrus only had that look when it seemed as if he'd won the fight.

"What you did to that medic center was wrong, and you know!" the program snapped as Cyrus' smirk only grew wider.

"You're not fans of a little redecorating?" Cyrus asked in an innocent voice. "After all, the Renegade and the Rogue have become quite infamous, haven't they?" Cyrus' eyes fell on the program once again, and she flinched under his piercing gaze. "Oh, you haven't even told him, have you?"

Without warning, Beck suddenly charged after Cyrus. He didn't care whether Cyrus was lying or not. Just stopping him was far more important. Cyrus let out a huff of annoyance just as the program moved aside to avoid the blows. Beck couldn't help but cringe when Cyrus flicked him off like he was nothing more than a mere Gridbug.

"Haven't you learned from your last fight?" Cyrus was taunting them now, a smirk of amusement written across his face as he watched them. "You can't win, even if you were trained by the greatest warrior on the Grid!"

This time the masked program fought back. Beck watched on in amazement as the program attacked with such speed that even Cyrus was caught off guard. She swung her light staff across his stomach, the impact causing Cyrus to stumble backwards and choke out in surprise.

The nanocycle that Beck had seen that light staff was when he began to understand. Mira had used a light staff as well when they first met. She was fast, faster than any program Beck had ever met. On top of it, she knew a few techniques that even Tron wasn't aware of.

Cyrus recovered quickly and reached for his disk before swinging it at the masked program, who Beck was certain he recognized. They ducked with ease, blocking the first few blows with their light staff. Cyrus only smirked as he swung his disk once again after finding an opening, leaving a nasty looking cut across her arm.

"You're just as weak as I remember," he sneered. Beck's eyes widened with horror at those words. He understood now the situation they were in. Cyrus had grabbed hold of her wrist as she was recovering from the shock, and held her up with ease. "Let's see you survive that, _User_."

Beck didn't hear the rest as he shoved Cyrus aside and rushed towards the building's ledge. For once, he was thankful he always kept a light jet baton on hand. Tron had warned him that it might come in handy as the Renegade. In this instance, it did.

Quick as a light cycle, Beck reached down to grab her before turning his baton into a light jet. He flew off just in time to watch Cyrus disappear during the chaos. Confusion, anger, and other emotions surged through him as he headed towards the Outlands. This was not how he wanted the cycle to end. And he had a feeling she wouldn't be so thankful to see him again, either.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

It was strange, how life seemed to work out. One nanocycle, everything could be fine, and the next, one could be falling to their deaths. It never occurred to her that anyone would bother rescuing her. Or that anyone actually cared that much. She wondered if this was what it felt like, for someone to care about her. For people to actually be concerned about her own safety. She had been alone for so long that it was almost foreign to her.

As her eyes slowly opened, Mira found herself in an oddly familiar place. The cave that she called home for so many cycles. Mira blinked in surprise as she recalled waking up here after she was captured by Clu. She hadn't been conscious at the time, but she could barely remember the fact that once again, it was the Renegade who had saved her that time.

It took her a few nanocycles to realize that she wasn't alone, and that her helmet had receded. She flinched as she wondered exactly what sort of questions would be asked. Why she had run away. Why she refused to show herself even after they rescued her. She knew he would never let her live it down that this was her third attempt at taking Cyrus on.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" was all he could say in the awkward silence.

Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that it was his attempt at making small talk through the awkward situation they were in. There wasn't a way to wriggle herself free out of this conversation. A confrontation was long overdue after everything that had happened.

"A few cycles, I suppose," she replied with a shrug.

She refused to make eye contact as she gazed at the cave walls. It was hard to believe that this was the place she spent so many cycles in before deciding to finally explore the city.

"Do you want to tell me what happened all those cycles ago?"

Mira felt her shoulders sag at the question she was dreading to answer. Beck knew her well enough that she wouldn't just sit still and let Clu get away with what he was doing. She hated herself for getting so worked up in the Uprising. If she had been more careful, maybe none of this would have happened. Eventually, she was given no choice but to explain her story.

"Where do I start?" she asked to no one in particular.

He didn't know about the nightmares. Or the real reason behind why she left. A shiver of unease crawled up her back; she wasn't really one to share her secrets. Beck of all programs should know this by now. She explained how she went to Tron City and found a job at the End of Line club, and started helping programs around the city when she wasn't working. It was difficult to explain all this without giving away the fact that she had helped save Able.

"Wait, that was you playing the music?" Beck stared at her in disbelief, and Mira couldn't hide the knowing smirk that followed.

She had been able to tap into music from the Real World; a technique that came in handy while working at the club. That was how she was able to play all the unique songs within the club. Though, to her surprise, Beck looked more impressed than anything else.

"Yeah… Castor was one of the few programs who knew I was a User, though, he didn't know at the time it was me," she explained with another shrug. "He gave me a place to stay, along with the job."

She had to admit that she was surprised when Castor had allowed her to work so easily. But then again, he was the kind of program who had his own agenda.

"When Clu had us captured, you sacrificed yourself for us," Beck sighed as he leaned against the wall. Mira flinched as she recalled her encounter with Clu. That had ended miserably, especially when he took her to the place she dreaded being anywhere near again. "And that fight with Rinzler… he would've killed us without hesitation."

Rinzler… She couldn't imagine what would have happened had she not thought fast with the soldier. Beck was right about one thing: She made a lot of stupid mistakes, but so did he. Mira finally locked eyes with him, and for a moment, she was afraid he would ask more questions. What he said next nearly took her breath away.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you."

She held back a yelp of surprise when he suddenly hugged her. Every instinct screamed at her to get away, but instead, she returned the favor. For the first time in cycles, she felt safe. Safe in his arms, with no guards or Tron watching over them.

"I've missed you, too," she whispered.

He had no idea just how true that was. In that split nanocycle, Mira realized that she had been avoiding him for this very reason. She cared about him too much, and it hurt to know that she had left him worrying about her own safety.

…

For the first time since starting her career as a soldier for General Tesler, Paige felt hopelessly lost. She never once turned her back on Clu or General Tesler. She never once questioned her loyalty to them. She always followed orders without question, and did so with high prowess.

Now, everything was different. Paige had tried looking for the Renegade. She looked everywhere she could think of, from Able's garage, to the Outlands. It was almost as if the Renegade had vanished. Paige chewed the bottom of her lip at the thoughts. Programs didn't just disappear without a trace. There was always some kind of residual energy left behind. It was a matter of finding the right data and using it to her advantage.

Paige shook her head at the thought. The Renegade was just another phony who reigned terror throughout the city. He may act nice at times, but that was all it was: An act. Paige had learned that the hard way when she found out about the hospital's destruction.

Yet even now, she was questioning why the Renegade would pull off such a stunt in the first place. If he was set against the Occupation, he would've done something more personal to Tesler. He would strike where it hurt the most.

"Stop thinking like that!" she scolded herself. Programs were shooting her wary looks as she passed by them. To them, she was probably the enemy. After all, she and Pavel were the ones who had marked them. All for a User that Paige ended up letting go. She realized that she was nothing more than a hypocrite. "What's the point of all of this?" she sighed after sitting down on a bench near Argon Square. "All I ever seem to do lately is fail."

Not to mention, she hadn't seen Beck for what felt like cycles. Paige regretted what she had told him about the User, and all of the information she had given away. But she did not regret the time they had spent together. Beck was a thrill-seeker, much like her. He knew how to have a good time, and was just the program she wanted to be around.

Maybe it was time to pay him a visit again. Paige admitted that she liked him. And they had so much in common: From finding a rush out of light cycle racing, to doing things that weren't in their programming. She started making her way towards the garage, where she was sure to find him, when she caught sight of his friends, Mara and Zed.

"Mara, would you stop and think of how crazy that sounds?" she heard Zed ask as she got closer. "I mean, sure he takes a lot of breaks and is probably one of Able's lazier workers, but that doesn't mean he'd abandon us."

"Save it, Zed," Mara snapped, sounding as if she'd heard this argument far too many times. "I'm tired of taking Beck's shifts when he isn't around. I'm tired of hearing how Able praises him, even when he isn't around. I just… I want things back the way they were."

"Well, that isn't going to happen," Zed sighed as he gently placed a hand on Mara's shoulder. "Able's back, and that's important enough. We have each other, right?"

That was when Paige realized something crucial about Mara and Zed. She always knew that Zed had a crush on Mara. But he was never brave enough to admit his feelings for her. Paige suspected he was either too shy or too afraid that she would reject him.

"Yeah, I suppose there's that," Mara replied, this time sounding better. She even perked up a little upon spotting Paige among the crowd of programs. "Commander Paige, what brings you here?" she immediately changed the subject, much to Paige's chagrin.

"I'm off duty," she replied with a shrug, and studied the pair curiously. "Have either of you seen Beck? I was hoping to see him again."

She didn't miss the look of surprise flashing in Zed's eyes, or the way Mara scowled at the mention of Beck. Judging from Mara's earlier accusation, Paige was hardly surprised with that reaction. She frowned in confusion after realizing that Mara felt that way with Beck. True, he may have had his moments where she doubted him, but he was a good employee… wasn't he?

"Able gave him the next few cycles off," Zed replied before Mara could make a scathing retort about their 'lazy' friend. "He hasn't been seen since, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere."

That left Paige feeling even more anxious about where he might be. Beck wasn't usually one to get himself into trouble. Maybe once or twice, when he was caught in the games or used as bait. But he was careful. She wondered if he was hiding somewhere in the city, or had taken a 'vacation'.

Nodding her thanks to the duo, Paige found herself wandering the streets of Argon once again. She was supposed to search for the Renegade. Once again, she let herself get distracted with thoughts of Beck. But she couldn't help it. He left her feeling worried and fearful that something might have happened to him.

She needed to clear her mind. Going to the Outlands was a risky move, but her light cycle was suited for off-road cycling. Besides, as a Commander, it gave her a special status. While she wasn't above getting arrested for missing curfew, she did have the chance to explain herself. Either way, going out to clear her thoughts was the best option she had at the moment. She needed to get away from the chaos, away from it all.

…

Beck let out a sigh of relief once she had fallen asleep. He had hundreds of questions to ask her after realizing that it really _was_ her. From finding out how she had learned how to heal damaged code, to everything else. He hadn't realized until that moment just how much he cared for her. How much she had changed the way he saw the Grid.

He was careful not to wake her as he stepped outside the cave. He needed to clear his mind and think of everything that was happening. Mira was safe, for now. The fact that she was willing to open up and tell him the truth told him that Clu hadn't broken her.

Once he was outside, Beck noticed that a storm had whipped up. Clouds covered the sky, with the wind picking up and snow falling around him. He glanced back in the direction of the cave, wondering how she had survived these kind of conditions through all of those cycles. He remembered what Tron once told him about Users. They were more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures, making them easy targets in a storm like this.

The sound of a light cycle engine caught Beck's attention when he was about to go back inside. His eyes widened in alarm when he realized who was approaching the cave, and at a fast pace. The program didn't stop until they spotted Beck, and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw him gaping at her. The nanocycle she stopped was when Beck realized that he had a lot of explaining to do.

"Beck?" Paige's helmet receded as she stared at him through narrowed eyes. "What the heck are you _doing_ out here?"

"I, uh… it's kind of hard to explain," Beck replied, trying to make it sound as if he was completely lost. Paige rose an eyebrow as she got off her light cycle and studied him curiously. "I was kind of going on my own light cycle course when I crashed, and my bike derezzed. I've been stuck here since."

"Enough with the lies, Beck," Paige snapped with a roll of her eyes. "I know for a fact that your light cycle is still operational. I would have seen you."

 _Okay, let's try a not so subtle approach_. Beck wouldn't risk Paige discovering Mira. He couldn't. She might try and find shelter in the cave from the storm, but he wasn't going to let her find the secret he was struggling to keep.

"I was supposed to meet someone out here, but they're running late," he explained with a shrug. "It's kind of an important meeting, so I can't just leave without getting a message."

"Well, at least that makes sense," Paige sighed. It almost sounded as if she was relieved. Beck wondered if she suspected anything; he seriously hoped not. "I'm sorry for being so suspicious… it's been a very strange few cycles."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Beck chuckled in agreement, rubbing the back of his hair as Paige tilted her head to one side. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Sure. I just needed to clear my mind; I wasn't expecting to be caught in the storm," she replied with a shrug of her own. Beck glanced over his shoulder warily. He was just thankful that Mira wasn't around to listen to his lame excuses. He would get an earful if she was, otherwise. "Actually, I really wanted to make sure that you were okay," Paige suddenly said, catching Beck off guard. He looked at her in surprise as she locked eyes with him. "I haven't seen you in the last few cycles, and I was worried something happened to you."

"Really?" Beck said in surprise.

He honestly wasn't expecting her to say such a thing, considering the situations they were constantly put in.

"Yeah, I was just… thinking of what happened to you and your friends when we caught that User. It was all my fault for even suggesting it, and I'm sorry for it," Paige went on, and Beck couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

It was strange, seeing the Commander of Tesler's army so concerned about him and the safety of his friends. Yet here she was, apologizing for everything that happened. Beck almost wished she could have said that to Mara and Zed as well.

"I think we've gotten over it," he reassured her as the storm began to die down. Oddly enough, it was peaceful, and Beck was reminded of the fact that they weren't alone. He just hoped that Paige wouldn't stick around long enough for Mira to wake up. "So, are you on your way back?"

"Yes," Paige sighed. "My real job was to track down the Renegade, but it's almost like he vanished." She sounded more frustrated with herself. "I should probably go back, though."

Her mentioning that the Renegade had almost 'vanished' made Beck's eyes widen in surprise. She flashed him a charming smile before taking off on her light cycle. Beck was left in the dust, thinking of why she would say such a thing. Once again, he looked over his shoulder to where Mira was.

Did she have something to do with it? Tron was never able to track her down. The code of her disk was different from that of a program. Maybe, somehow, it had rubbed off on his own program when they started spending more time together. Either way, having such abilities would come in handy. Beck almost hoped that she could show him how that was possible.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

There were fleeting images flashing across her vision as she found herself floating through darkness. At the time, she hadn't seen the significance of those images. Some of them were so brief that she wasn't sure what to make of them. Others were of a large city looming in the distance, looking as if it had been through some sort of recent war. Buildings were shattered, toppled over, with vehicles overturned and Users running for cover.

Mira blinked a few times as she realized that she was approaching the very city that these people were fleeing from. Her heart was racing with dread as she caught sight of the chaos surrounding the city. Strange looking creatures, encased in hard skin and riding along even stranger vehicles were targeting the Users. It didn't take Mira long to realize that this must be the Real World. Because, stranger still, were the Users standing together in a circular formation. They were dressed in odd looking costumes, with one of them looking like a giant green creature snarling at the ones flying around them.

She wasn't sure what the meaning of this dream was, but she couldn't shake off the sense of familiarity. Something about this was familiar, as if she had seen at least _one_ of these Users before. One of them had looked in her direction, but paid no heed as they started talking, too quietly for her to understand.

Eventually, the strange images had begun to fade away. Mira was left floating there in the darkness, until she started hearing voices again.

"I'm sorry, for it." Why did that voice sound so familiar? "I should probably go back."

"Take care of yourself, Paige."

That was enough for reality to kick in. She blinked a few times once again, finding herself back in the cave where she had fallen asleep. Mira was even more surprised to find that she wasn't alone. That was when the memories of the last cycle came rushing back.

 _I let him get to me, again_ , she thought bitterly as she recalled their most recent fight with Cyrus. How many times was she going to put herself through this? Cyrus always seemed to be one step ahead of them. Though she wasn't entirely surprised by that notion. Considering Tron was the one who trained him, along with whatever training he received while being Clu's former soldier, he would find whatever way he could to stay one step ahead of them.

"Hey." Her eyes shot up towards Beck. The gentleness in his tone, the way he approached her cautiously, was just another reminder of everything he knew about what had happened to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded, wondering just how true that response was. The last couple of cycles had been difficult for both of them. She wondered for the first time if they would ever have a normal cycle for a change, one where nothing would go wrong. "How long was I out?"

"Less than half a cycle," Beck reassured her. "The curfew's over."

Mira let out a sigh of relief at that. If Beck decided to leave, at least it wouldn't be when the curfew was in effect. Though, he could easily dodge a few soldiers along the way if it was needed. The risks were really not worth it. Especially since they had been through as much as they had in one cycle.

"You didn't have to stay," she murmured, the wariness in her voice suggesting otherwise. Beck only rolled his eyes at that, before sitting down next to her as she wrapped her arms around her legs. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," she added, her voice dropping to a whisper as she looked away.

"Hey, it's okay," he reassured her with a smile. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright before leaving. I know you can take care of yourself."

Mira gave him a look of surprise.

"Really? Because sometimes, it doesn't feel like I can," she sighed, her voice full of bitterness. "I thought that maybe, just maybe I could finally stop Cyrus once and for all. Instead, I acted like a complete bitbrain and let him get to me!"

She flinched when Beck wrapped an arm around her in a hug. But, she didn't protest against the warmth of his comforting embrace. Even if he knew how much she detested the idea of contact from another program, that didn't stop him from providing whatever comfort he could.

"I think we're both to blame for that one," he admitted.

A shiver ran through her as Mira found herself leaning against him. That same feeling of unease whenever she was close to anyone would never go away. She realized it was more than just a matter of trust on the line. Instead of fighting him off though, she simply allowed his warmth to provide whatever comfort it could. She hadn't realized at the time just how good it felt to feel as if someone cared.

"Then, I guess we can blame each other for this one," she laughed bitterly, catching Beck off guard for a moment, before he realized why she had laughed. They both made bitbrained mistakes. At least they were both willing to admit it. "I'm glad you stayed," she added, her tone softer this time.

Beck couldn't hide the smile that followed. Despite all that had happened to her, to them both, they had survived. She was beginning to realize that maybe there was a reason behind that. Whatever the world had to throw at them, they could take it.

"Are you up for a trip to the city?" he suddenly asked after a few nanocycles.

Mira simply looked at him with those eyes that were always impossible to read. For a moment, he was afraid she might turn down the offer, when she took him by surprise.

"Some mindless fun would actually be a nice change," she replied with a nod.

"Mindless fun it is," Beck smirked in agreement.

…

Paige held back a sigh of frustration as she paced along the street of Argon Park. At this point, she didn't care whether or not programs were glaring at her because of her position in the army. She was frustrated, with herself, the Renegade, and General Tesler. If things had gone more smoothly during her search for the Renegade, she wouldn't be doing this.

 _I can't go back empty-handed_ , she reminded herself angrily. After all of those failures in the past, she knew she couldn't afford to fail this time. Tesler would surely have her head if she returned to the base without the Renegade.

She thought about what Beck's friends at the garage had said about his odd behavior. Mara especially had sounded frustrated with Beck's lack of work ethics. The fact that she had been taking over his shifts while he took 'vacations' should have risen an alarm. Then, there was the fact that she had seen him waiting in the Outlands. At the time, she didn't find his actions suspicious. Now, she was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Looking for someone?"

Paige stiffened when she heard that voice. She whirled around, only to find a cloaked program looking in her direction. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered how long this program had been watching her.

"Yeah… I'm looking for the Renegade," she replied, keeping her voice steady as the program in question chuckled in response.

"Isn't everyone looking for the Renegade? I would have thought by sure that Tesler or Clu would have captured him. Then again, they only just recently recaptured that pathetic excuse for a User," he sneered.

The way he spoke so coldly about that same User that Paige had helped rescue made her wince. She was reminded of yet another failure, among the many others that Tesler would surely derezz her for, if she chose to go back.

Unease swept through her at the thought. Tesler wasn't going to be happy as it was that she returned without Clu giving the order. She knew going back would mean she had to explain her sudden return. The worst part was knowing that she had helped rescue the User from Clu's clutches. Now, she was beginning to regret letting the Renegade get away with that rescue.

"Look, I just need to know if you've seen the Renegade anywhere," she snapped, trying to shake off the uneasiness that followed.

"I've heard from a reliable source that he plans on redecorating the building next to the club," the program replied without missing a beat. "Get there in time, and you might be able to stop him. Otherwise, innocent programs are about to die."

Fear suddenly gripped her as Paige realized this was more serious than she thought. Once her clouded vision had cleared, she realized that the program had disappeared into the crowd. If what that program had said was true, then she needed to act as quickly as she could.

…

" **And you ask me what I want this year, And I try to make this kind and clear Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days, Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings And designer love and empty things, Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days...** "

Beck was beginning to think he had lost his touch when it came to light cycle racing. When he had challenged Mira to the race, he'd almost forgotten how skilled she was. But, seeing that cheerful smile was enough to make him forget about it. It had been a long time since he'd seen her smile like that, and it was just as radiant as ever. To top things off, she had good taste in music, apparently.

" **So take these words, And sing out loud Cause everyone is forgiven now, Cause tonight's the night the world begins again, I need someplace simple where we could live And something only you can give And that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive, And the one poor child who saved this world, And there's 10 million more who probably could If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them...** "

"Care for another round?" she smirked in amusement when they reached the club where Beck had spent his couple of dates with Paige.

He did feel slightly guilty knowing that this was their favorite hangout. But in light of recent events, he couldn't bring himself to say no when he saw how much Mira had changed in such a short time. Despite all of the chaos they had been through over the last few cycles, it felt good just to get out and have some mindless fun for a change. Even if she was kicking his butt in a light cycle race.

"No thanks, once is enough," he held out his hands in self-defense as if to prove a point.

Mira only rolled her eyes as they reached the table where a series of targets were already set up. They'd only been playing for a few nanocycles when Mira had already pulled ahead in the game, matching his moves without missing a beat. It didn't take Beck long to realize she'd been watching his every move on the cycle when Paige had dumped him. He hadn't noticed at the time how skilled she was at figuring out how things worked on the Grid.

"Player one eliminated, would you like to play again?" He groaned in annoyance when the computerized voice spoke up, announcing her victory.

"How'd you get so good at this?" he asked as they set up another round.

"Careful observation," she replied cheekily.

Beck couldn't hide the smirk that followed as he noticed how much she had changed in just that short amount of time. Seeing her like this made him realize that maybe, just maybe, Clu hadn't stripped her entirely of whatever happiness she had left.

He could stay here the whole cycle and not get tired of just being near her. Mira really wasn't like any other program he had met. She had a lot more courage than anyone he could imagine, after everything that had happened to her. The fact that she was willing to help the very programs who would turn her in within nanocycles proved just that.

 _How could anyone think she doesn't belong here_? he wondered guiltily. How could anyone have treated her the way they did, for that matter? She was beautiful, in her own right. He would never admit it out loud, though. Seeing her again was just another reminder of their unique partnership. Their jobs were thankless, but that didn't stop either of them from helping anyone who suffered under Clu's tyranny. He knew there was still a lot that needed to be said and done. But he hoped that he could somehow make up for everything he had done or hadn't done when they were working together. She deserved that much, at least.

"Everything alright?" she asked, cutting him from his thoughts.

"Er, yeah," he replied with a shrug, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment after realizing he'd been staring off into space.

Mira simply rose an eyebrow at that before gesturing to the pool table.

"Your game," she smirked, handing him the stick. He hesitated for a moment, earning a look of confusion nanocycles later. "Spit it out," she suddenly said, and it took Beck a few nanocycles to realize what she meant. "There's obviously something on your mind."

"Sorry, I was just thinking," he admitted sheepishly.

"What about?" she placed the stick back onto the pool table as she crossed her arms, tilting her head to one side curiously.

Beck swallowed as his eyes locked with hers for just a brief moment. He'd almost forgotten how she could read him like an open disk. Mira was a lot more observant than most programs, and she was also more caring than most of them would ever be.

"I—"

"I want everyone to clear out of this building, now!" Beck stiffened in surprise at the sound of Paige's shout, and Mira immediately turned off the music playing in the background at her arrival. It wasn't until Paige had reached the room they were in that Beck noticed how furious she looked. "Get out of here, now, for your own safety," she snapped after grabbing her disk and activating it.

"Paige, what's wrong?" Mira demanded, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glared back at the Commander.

He was suddenly grateful that she had chosen to wear a disguise while they were out in public. Paige had seen her around him multiple times before she was captured by Clu. There was no telling what the Commander would have said if she recognized Mira from those incidents.

"Someone planted a bomb in this building," she explained in a rushed voice, "I need this place cleared before I can deactivate it."

Beck's eyes widened in alarm as he realized what she meant by that. Someone had told her there was a bomb in the building. It didn't take a genius to know that she had been played like a fool. Especially if he had already guessed _who_ that someone happened to be. He exchanged one look with Mira, who had already guessed the same thing.

"Paige, your disk—" Beck's warning was cut off short by a sudden explosion that shook the entire building.

The moment the explosion hit them was when Paige had dropped her disk, hand trembling with shock as a gaping hole appeared under her feet. Mira tried lunging forward to grab her, but it was already too late. Paige let out a yelp of panic when she was suddenly swallowed by the darkness, the circuits of her suit the only source of light before they too, faded.

"We need to find her!" Mira shouted over the debris crashing around them. Beck had to shield himself from a piece of code that had fallen dangerously close to where he'd been standing. In that short amount of time, Mira had already put on the one disguise Beck wasn't expecting. "Are you coming?" she asked, standing over the hole that Beck was gaping at.

"Yeah," he nodded in agreement, quickly changing his own suit's appearance while pushing away the fear and uncertainty clouding his thoughts.

If Paige was gone, he would never forgive himself. She may have caused his own fair share of pain, but she had her reasons behind it.

Mira didn't hesitate to jump into the darkness that quickly swallowed them both. Beck released a gusty sigh as he followed. He could only hope that once they had rescued Paige, she would realize that she was fighting on the wrong side. It was the only hope he had out of this outcome.

* * *

 **AN: Lyrics come from the song 'Better Days' by the Google Dolls**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

Mira ran through the darkness without hesitation. She found it ironic that it was her rescuing the Commander who would turn her in within heartbeats. She wasn't going to let Paige die at the hands of Cyrus. Part of her had already known that he was behind this. He could be the only reason behind this, unless Paige had other enemies they didn't know about.

"Do you even know where we're going?" Beck asked when he finally caught up with her.

She had almost forgotten that he was there until now. His white suit was kind of a dead giveaway in the darkness, but it helped illuminate the hallways. She narrowed her eyes as she caught something in the darkness ahead.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied.

She wasn't sure what would lay ahead of them, though. If Paige had fallen through the hole, she should have been where she landed. Someone had moved her the nanocycle she fell through the hole. Her code was already damaged from the explosive on her disk.

 _Cyrus is going to pay for this_ , she thought after wondering what sort of horrors Paige was facing right now. He was responsible for so much pain within Argon City. Between betraying Tron and turning into a lunatic, she wasn't sure what could be worse.

They kept running until the light got brighter. Mira's eyes widened in shock when she found herself entering a large looking room. She definitely didn't remember this being under the buildings. It looked like some kind of medical facility, but with a mad scientist kind of flare to it. Beck staggered behind her when he finally reached the blinding light. Once her eyes had adjusted to the brightness, she gaped in horror at what lay in front of her.

Strapped to a table was Paige, who was bound by energy cuffs digging painfully into her wrists. She was unconscious, though Mira suspected she could sense everything that was happening. Half of her face was twisted in agony as she slowly began to derezz.

"We need to find her disk." Throughout the ordeal, Beck remained surprisingly calm. Though Mira had a feeling that he was panicking at the thought of losing Paige. She began searching through the debris in the hopes of finding Paige's disk, with some help. Unfortunately, said disk was nowhere to be seen. "Do you think you can save her without it?" he asked Mira, who resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Not without her disk," she replied, keeping her own voice steady throughout the chaos. "I can only do so much unless I have the original data."

She didn't miss the groan of frustration that followed. Did he really just expect her to heal Paige without a disk? There really was nothing she could do unless she had it. The more time they wasted in arguing, the better chances they had at losing Paige.

"Looking for something?" Mira felt her blood run cold at the familiar voice of Cyrus. She whipped around in time to see him blocking their only chances of escaping. He was holding what looked like a disk that was shattered from the bomb. "Paige is quite the interesting Commander, isn't she, Beck? I can see why you like her so much… though I have to wonder, why she would even join the army, given her past."

"What did you do to her?" Beck demanded as he struggled to keep Paige from derezzing.

By now, she had lost her right arm; pixels were beginning to form in a pile under the table.

"I think I just did her a favor," Cyrus replied in a smug tone. "After all, once she finds out what they did to her friends, she will _want_ to die."

Rage boiled within Mira as she reached for her light staff and swung it across his chest. The air was knocked out of his lungs for a brief nanocycle, and Mira used his distraction as a chance to grab hold of Paige's disk.

"Keep him distracted, I need to fix the code," she snapped as she immediately went to work fixing the code. Beck looked at her in surprise before realizing what she was doing. She had pulled up a series of code from Paige's disk, and realized just how much damage the Commander received from Cyrus. That was why she was slowly derezzing. Cyrus had triggered some kind of malfunction in her data. "Hang in there, Paige," she whispered as Beck struggled to keep Cyrus from reaching them.

Her hands were shaking as she heard the fighting in the background. Cyrus was taunting Beck, now, by implying that he would eventually lose everyone he cared about. It wasn't the first time Cyrus had used that trick. Mira narrowed her eyes as she struggled to concentrate until finding the right code to untangle.

Everything was a mess. Paige's healing capabilities were compromised. Her code was unstable, making it impossible to recover unless someone fixed it. So that was what Mira worked on first. Then, she went to work fixing the wounds Paige had received. Once Mira was able to comprehend what was what, that made it easier. Within microcycles, her arm was slowly beginning to heal itself. She let out a sigh of relief before putting the disk back in place.

 _Now, to deal with Cyrus_ , she thought angrily. Cyrus really was worse than a Gridbug. He made everyone's lives miserable. It was his goal in life to destroy everything they cared about. Mira wasn't going to let that happen. He needed to be _derezzed_ , not just thrown into some prison.

"The Renegade and some _weak_ User can't do anything to stop me!" Cyrus cried out as he shoved Beck into a wall.

Mira only rolled her eyes when Cyrus called her 'weak' for the umpteenth time. It was really getting old, hearing programs consider her a weakling. The constant rhetoric may have worked in the past, but she was getting tired of hearing it repeat itself.

She grabbed hold of her light staff and leaped in front of him, gaining enough momentum to swing her legs across his. The impact of her attack sent Cyrus flying across the room. Mira didn't hesitate to throw in a volley of attacks, using quick jabs and punches to keep him at bay.

"You think us Users are so weak, Cyrus, then how do you explain why I'm still here?" she snapped, throwing her light staff across his neck for a second time that cycle. Anger blinded her. She wasn't sure what happened after that; she kept taking her frustration out on Cyrus, who seemed to take every hit with ease. "You don't know what sort of hell I've been through in my life, and you'll never know!"

What happened next took her completely by surprise. Cyrus had staggered backwards after taking every hit she had thrown at him. The smug look on his face only infuriated her, and she was about to charge forward when he suddenly vanished in a blinding light.

The nanocycle he was gone was when Mira realized she had lost control. She was blinded by rage, and had taken it out on Cyrus. Her hands were trembling with fear. How did that happen? She never once thought of what would happen if she lost control. Her heart sank when she turned to see Beck at Paige's side once again.

 _Who am I kidding_? she thought with a sigh of frustration. Paige was perfect for him. After all, she was a program. Mira was just a 'weak' User, as Cyrus pointed out numerous times. She thought of leaving at that moment, before things got anymore awkward. _It would make things easier for everyone_ , she thought bitterly.

Her thoughts wandered back to the way Cyrus had simply 'vanished' into thin air. That almost sounded impossible. She had never heard of something like that happening. The blinding light that kept her from getting a good look at what happened didn't make things any easier. She shook her head at the thought. Cyrus would likely make another appearance sooner or later, and do something even worse. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Paige was coming to.

"You're lucky to be alive," Beck stated as he leaned against a nearby wall. Mira narrowed her eyes when he looked in her direction. She kept her distance; it felt wrong to step in now when Paige was only just recovering from the shock. "If we hadn't found you in time, you would've derezzed."

"Why would you care about me?" Paige demanded, her eyes narrowing with hate as she glared at Beck.

Mira had a feeling that she suspected the Renegade was responsible for this recent attack. She resisted the urge to say anything, knowing full well it would only get her in trouble. Paige had already been through enough as it was this cycle.

"Despite what everyone says about us, we do care about the programs of the Grid."

Paige's eyes widened when Beck mentioned 'us', and Mira couldn't help but stiffen. Her defensive shield went up when Paige looked in her direction.

Paige only stared at her for what felt like pectrocycles. Mira returned the stare with a glare. The tense situation was only made worse when Mira noticed that Beck was watching them carefully. She really wished that he had kept her out of this.

"You're the User!" Paige finally exclaimed in an accusing tone. She tried sitting up, but winced at the sudden pain erupting within her. "I should have left you at the hands of Clu! I should have trusted my instincts!" Each word felt like a brick was thrown at Mira. She could see hatred within Paige's eyes as she glared at her. It only confirmed her worst fears. "Why don't you just do everyone a favor and give yourself up?"

"Paige, stop." Paige flinched at the sound of Beck's voice. He didn't miss the fact that Mira was now trembling at Paige's cruel words. "You wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her."

That didn't help alleviate situation. Paige kept glaring at Mira, and was about to stand up when she winced in pain once again.

"Do you really think I'd be here if I was given the choice?" Mira suddenly snapped, earning looks of surprise from Paige and Beck. "I wasn't given a choice when the Portal closed! Clu took everything from me! Everything! And you think you have it bad?" The bitterness in her voice made Paige and Beck flinch. "Programs _hate_ me just for my very existence. How fast do you think anyone would turn me in just because I am who I am?"

Paige was about to open her mouth and find a valid argument when she closed it. Her eyes were wide with shock as she realized the extent of pain and anger in the User's voice. Xilacycles of suffering had taught Mira that she couldn't trust anyone. She was beginning to realize just how true that was.

"Mira."

Beck spoke her name so softly that Paige wouldn't hear. She refused to make eye contact with him, if that were possible. Once again, she was thankful they had masks concealing their faces. She didn't want either of them to know that she was fighting back tears.

It felt as if everything was spiraling out of control. Her emotions. The fact that Paige was willing to turn her in without hesitation. The fact that she had risked everything for a program who hated her. She couldn't take it anymore.

Without warning, she ran, shoving her way past Beck and leaving them in awkward silence. Once she was out of eyesight, and hearing range, she found herself collapsing on the floor, her helmet receding in the process. It was at that moment she broke down. These last few cycles had really taken a toll on her. She couldn't fight back the overwhelming sense of emotions that made everything feel worse than they were.

She hardly heard the sound of footsteps approaching, or noticed the fact that she was no longer alone. What she did notice were the arms wrapping around her in a tight hug as someone knelt down beside her. In that moment, all of her defensive shields dropped as she buried her face in his chest and quietly sobbed.

In that moment, Mira had never felt so helplessly lost. She wasn't even aware of the fact that Beck was holding onto her. It took a few microcycles for her to let everything out. Beck didn't say anything throughout the ordeal. He couldn't say anything, even if he wanted to. He had no idea just how broken she really was.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice quiet as she slowly recovered. "For everything."

"Mira, you don't have to apologize for anything," Beck tried reassuring her, though he could see that it was pointless. She blamed herself for everything that happened. That was why she had left in the first place. She would do so again if it meant keeping peace with everyone. "Look, if anything, this is my fault. We should have left the nanocycle Cyrus was gone, and she was healed."

Finally, Mira looked at him. Beck's eyes widened with realization when he saw just how hurt she was. Not just physically, but mentally as well. This wasn't just Clu's doing. Everyone was at fault for what had happened to her.

"It doesn't matter," she sighed after looking down at the floor once again. "This was always a thankless job."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Beck asked cautiously. Mira couldn't help but grimace at the concern in his voice.

"I've been through worse," she muttered truthfully.

Luckily, Beck didn't say anything to that. He knew that it was true, and there was no point in arguing. They had already wasted precious time down in these tunnels. It wouldn't be long before Paige recovered and started chasing them down.

Once she was back on her feet, the two of them left the building far behind them. Programs had started flocking towards the area when they saw what happened. Mira had no doubt they would start accusing her or Beck for whatever happened. They had replaced their disguises with normal civilian outfits in case this happened.

Mira was just relieved to get out of that place. Between what Cyrus and Paige had said, she wasn't sure what made her feel worse. She thought back to the way Cyrus had disappeared once again. It was too convenient. He'd disappeared just after she was finished taking her anger out on him.

"Do you know what happened to Cyrus?" she asked, hoping to break the awkward silence between them as they headed for the Outlands.

"I don't know," Beck admitted once they rezzed their light cycles. "Though something tells me Tron would know." Mira couldn't help but flinch at the mention of Tron, and Beck threw her an anxious look. "Don't worry, I won't tell him what happened," he tried reassuring her.

"No, you need to tell him what happened to Cyrus," she retorted with a shake of her head. "At the very least, he deserves to know."

Beck looked at her in surprise before nodding in agreement. He would've thought for sure she would want to keep what happened a secret.

She kept quiet through the rest of their ride to the cave. Her mind was churning with anxiety. It was a habit she had formed over the xilacycles when she wasn't Clu's captive. She would always wonder what everyone else was going through. What could have been done to prevent this from happening at all. Mira had since than learned that no matter what, fate's cruel hands would always play a role on the Grid.

Mira had a feeling that Beck had hundreds of questions to ask her. He was oddly quiet though, despite their earlier situation. She had an even stronger sense that he was just trying to make her feel better about herself. Though, truthfully, nothing would satisfy her more than to watch Clu derezz right in front of her.

"I suppose I should go back and warn Tron of what happened," Beck sighed once they reached her cave. Mira looked at him warily as he locked eyes with her. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

She merely offered him a fake smile in response.

"Beck, I'll be fine," she reassured him.

Beck looked as if he wasn't sure he believed her. Mira struggled to keep a straight face until he left it at that, and decided to leave. Once she was sure that he had left, and was far enough away that he wouldn't hear her, she fell to her knees and let out a scream.

One thing was clear to her after everything that had happened: This was going to be a long cycle.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

"Where have you been?" Tron folded his arms when Beck returned to the safehouse.

Exhaustion had begun creeping through him when he finally returned. The last cycle had been draining, both physically and mentally. Watching Paige nearly derezz had taken a heavy toll on Beck. Though, he knew the real reason behind his exhaustion.

"I've been… busy," Beck explained warily. He didn't want to give away too much information. The last thing he wanted was for Tron to suspect that he was working with Mira now. After all that had happened, he had a feeling the last thing she wanted was to face Tron now. "Able had me working double shifts for the last two cycles," he quickly added as a precaution.

"Funny," Tron remarked, earning a look of surprise from Beck, "you weren't on the screen when I searched for you."

Beck hid a knowing smirk at that. Mira was right when she said that Tron wouldn't be able to track him down as long as he was with her. He never once thought that it would actually happen. The thought sent a thrill of excitement through him just knowing what he could get away with having that ability.

"So, what are we doing this cycle?" Beck asked cautiously.

Tron wouldn't have known what had happened to Cyrus. As far as he was concerned, the insane program had somehow vanished right before their eyes. And once again, Beck was left wondering if Tron would know where Cyrus had gone.

"I was tracking down Cyrus when he suddenly disappeared," Tron explained as if he'd read Beck's mind. Beck crossed his arms as he thought of how Tron once told him that Cyrus was long dead. Of course, it was just a lie to make him feel safer. Not for the first time, Beck thought of telling him that he was nothing more than a hypocrite when something told him that was a bad idea. "You know what happened, don't you?"

Tron shot Beck an accusing look, and he held back a sigh of frustration.

"He kidnapped Paige," Beck explained while refusing to make eye contact. He didn't want to admit that he was working with Mira – she would tell Tron herself when she felt ready to face him again. "I managed to track him down an underground tunnel, and that was when he disappeared."

"That's not possible," Tron retorted, crossing his arms and taking on a serious expression. "Programs can't just disappear out of existence."

"But he did," Beck protested. "There was a blinding light, and he just vanished."

It had seemed so strange at the time. One nanocycle, Mira was kicking his sorry butt, and the next, he just stumbled back and vanished. Even if he was able to run away, Tron would have found his code somewhere on the Grid. There really was no place to hide on the Grid, unless one had the same abilities as Mira.

Tron pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he thought of the possibilities. Another long, awkward silence filled the room as Beck wondered what Mira would think of all of this. She hadn't taken Paige's reaction to the whole thing well. Than again, what Paige had said was just another cruel reminder of who Mira really was.

 _Mira was right about her_ , he thought with a sigh. He hated to admit it, but Paige probably would turn her in if she ever saw Mira again. That left Beck with wondering if things would be any different had Clu not poisoned everyone's minds. After all, programs only hated Users because of what he told them.

Beck couldn't help but think back to how much Mira had opened up to him during their short time together. Users weren't the creatures that Clu painted them out to be. She'd proven time and time again that she was selfless, caring and devoted to helping others. If only everyone else could see her as that, instead of the monster Clu made her out as.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud alarm beeping in the room. The noise was enough to stir Rinzler from his sleep. The little kitten had been staying in the safehouse until Mira was ready to show herself, and in truth, Beck suspected that Tron enjoyed his company. Sure enough, Rinzler had jumped onto Beck's shoulder as Tron pulled up an image on the screen overlooking the Outlands.

"What is that?" Beck asked in alarm, noticing the strange lights dancing across the Outlands. His panic only increased when he recognized the blinding light that had swallowed Cyrus up.

"No, it can't be," Tron said almost to himself. Beck rose an eyebrow, looking at his mentor warily as Tron zoomed into the image. "This hasn't happened since Flynn himself was on the Grid."

"Tron, what's happening?" Beck asked louder this time, hoping and praying that it wasn't as serious as it sounded.

Though he had a feeling it was everything he feared. What Tron said next only confirmed his worst fears.

"Portals are opening up throughout the Outlands," Tron explained in an icy tone. "If they aren't stopped, Clu will find a way to the Real World."

…

It took everything in her willpower not to scream in pure frustration. For what felt like the hundredth time, she had allowed the Renegade _and_ that User to slip out of her grasp. What made her feel worse, though, was what the User had said. She shouldn't be feeling so angry with herself over something a worthless _User_ said. But it left her feeling more confused and angry with Clu than anything else.

"Do you really think I would be here if I was given a choice?" the User had demanded, her voice sounding so angry and bitter from xilacycles of suffering.

She hadn't missed the scars covering her arms and legs, either. Despite the User's best efforts in hiding them, some were still visible. It took Paige a few nanocycles to figure out that the User was hiding herself behind a mask of pain and xilacycles of hurt. Despite it all, Paige was still angrier with the User now than she had been before.

Paige shook her head at the thought. She hadn't realized until listening to that User how complicated they were. Their emotions were much stronger than that of a program. Paige could hear the passion in her voice as she was practically yelling at her. And what chilled her the most was how right the User was about her actions to turn her in.

 _Users don't belong on the Grid_ , she reminded herself as she reached Tesler's ship. It was almost sad, in a way. That User would die alone in this world. If she was smart, she would turn herself in and just let the soldiers derezz her. But, Users weren't as intelligent as Paige once thought.

Plus, there was the possibility of what Clu had said back in his fortress. Paige couldn't stop herself from looking down at the ground guiltily when she recalled how he wanted to turn the User into his own personal weapon. She had a feeling that if something like that happened, it would end in disaster for everyone involved.

Once she had reached the ship, Paige took on a more authoritative appearance. Soldiers who were below her gave Paige a wide birth. They knew better than to question her sudden return, or the fact that she had returned empty-handed. Paige was going to kick herself for this mistake.

"Paige, welcome back."

She stiffened at the sound of General Tesler's voice. He was standing in the throne room, with someone she dreaded to see again. Dyson was standing right beside her, his expression impossible to read as she bowed in respect.

"Sir, I would like to take full responsibility for what happened in the game room," she informed him. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place, and I couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening."

She braced herself for the yelling that would follow as she showed them her memories.

Oddly enough, neither of them could see the User. Paige rose an eyebrow in surprise as only the Renegade was there while her injuries slowly restored themselves. The program that she had been tracking down was still taunting the Renegade, and the User. But that wasn't what bothered her the most. It was the blinding light that flashed before them, and the smirk playing across Dyson's face when the insane program disappeared that left her feeling so uneasy.

"My dear Paige, you have outdone yourself this time!" Paige took a step back in surprise when Dyson said that. "This will certainly make up for your mistake in releasing that _User_." She didn't miss the way Tesler's eyes widened the mention of the User. "This discovery will please Clu for cycles to come, and put an end to both the Renegade and the User much sooner than we had planned."

"Wait, what did I discover?" Paige asked in disbelief.

She wasn't expecting to get the all clear for basically betraying Clu in letting the User go. Normally, anyone who did such a thing would face immediate deresolution. Seeing the look on Tesler's face told her it was still a possibility.

"What you discovered, dear Commander, was a Portal," Dyson explained.

Paige only stared at him in confusion. She thought only Flynn himself could do such a thing. It also left her feeling worried about what would happen once Clu found these Portals. There had been enough rumors going around of what the leader would do if he found a Portal.

Wariness swept through her as she imagined what would happen to the Real World. Users didn't belong on the Grid anymore than programs belonged in the Real World. She didn't want anything to do with it, and she suspected most programs would feel the same way.

"How is that possible?" she asked warily.

The possibilities of Portals opening throughout the Grid was something that left Paige chewing the bottom of her lip doubtfully. If something like that was happening, they should have been stopped. Innocent programs could somehow find themselves getting lost within those Portals, or vise-versa.

"The Grid works in mysterious ways," Dyson informed her after noticing Paige's look of confusion. "I've been around long enough to know how it works. That was part of the reason Clu wanted to keep the User around. The possibilities are endless. As such, with the recent attacks, it is possible they are linked with the Portals opening."

Paige didn't miss the way look flashing in Tesler's eyes. He rarely conveyed emotions to anyone. But the look of shock at Dyson mentioning the User must have put him on edge. Everyone on the Grid was aware of her, now. She literally had no place to hide.

"General Tesler and I will be discussing plans in catching the Renegade," Dyson went on. "For now, you will have off for a few cycles."

That didn't sound all too appealing for Paige. She hated not having anything to do. Being a Commander gave her the status to pretty much have access to all places. Maybe she would use it as an excuse to find the User again, and turn her in for the last time. Or, she could use it to see Beck again.

She held back a sigh of frustration as she turned and left the Throne Room. It was better not to stick around and hear their plans. And obvious that Dyson didn't trust her. She didn't blame him for not wanting to trust her. After all, they would still have the User in their hands if it wasn't for her.

Once she was outside the throne room, Paige's thoughts churned with anxiety. Finding a Portal could spell very bad news for everyone. She once believed that Clu was right to destroy the ISOs and oppose the Users. But as she thought about it, she realized that maybe she should oppose Clu. After all, things had been peaceful before he started causing trouble.

Then, it suddenly hit her. Paige's eyes widened as she gave it more thought. Programs had free will. Flynn, the Creator, a User, had given programs that gift. Clu had taken it away, believing that perfection was the only way. Paige loved having the ability to choose what she wanted in life, and she was sure that programs who hadn't been repurposed did as well.

Her fists balled up as Paige looked over her shoulder. She hadn't realized until than how lucky Users were. They could choose what they wanted to do, and they weren't programmed with one directive. Users were unique beings, just like ISOs. They didn't deserve the treatment that the Grid had given them.

 _I'm done following someone's orders_ , she told herself. _If I'm going to do something, it'll be on my own turf_.

She chose at that moment to deflect from the army. After everything she had been through, everything she once believed, she realized that this was the best choice. But where would she even start? She wanted to make a difference, now that she thought about it.

Once Paige was off Tesler's ship and out of prying eyes, she turned her circuits back to their original colors. The nanocycle she did that was when everything felt better, more natural. The coding that left another reminder of her days as a medic appeared on her shoulder, and Paige was suddenly left with bitter memories of what had happened to her friends and the hospital she worked at.

Maybe she would find the User again, and apologize once and for all. It felt like the right thing to do. She had acted so cruelly towards the User, who was only trying to help her, now that she thought about it. The capabilities this User had only reminded Paige of just how much she had yet to learn about her job as a medic.

Taking a deep breath, Paige decided the first place she should look was Argon. It was the last place she had seen the User with the Renegade. That User might not have stuck around after their last encounter, but it was her best hope, and the start to her redemption.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Chapter Twenty One**

 _The first thing she had noticed were programs whispering to one another. It took her a few nanocycles to realize that she wasn't on the Grid. As her eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the darkness, she found herself staring into oblivion. Yet, the voices were loud enough to tell her that someone was not far away._

 _She blinked a few times, and as she did so, she saw the form of a woman in front of her. The woman was sitting in a chair, and in front of her was another. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to get a better view of the room they were in, but it was still too dark for her to see clearly. The only thing she did recognize was that something was clearly wrong._

 _"You realize that you are giving up the only child you will ever know," the other woman, who spoke in an unpleasant tone, informed the red-head sitting in the chair._

 _The redhead flinched as if she had heard this story many times before._

 _"I do," she replied bitterly. "I'm in no shape to be a mother. You of all people should know that."_

 _The woman sitting across from her frowned._

 _"Very well," she sighed as she handed the redhead stacks of papers. "Fill out this paperwork, and we'll put her up for adoption. This means that you will never see her again, or make contact with her. Do I make myself clear?"_

 _"Yes," the redhead replied without hesitation. Once the paperwork was finished, the redhead stood up and went over to a cradle where the baby was being kept. Inside was a tiny bundle wrapped in blankets. Her eyes were dark as she looked at her daughter one last time. She never intended to allow things to go as far as they had in the first place. Gently, and carefully, she caressed the baby's downy red hair one last time. "I'm sorry," was all she could whisper before leaving the baby with something._

 _An object that looked vary familiar. A golden locket, with the words, MB written on the back. Once the redhead was gone, the older woman walked over to the cradle and sighed. This child would never grow up to know who her mother or father was, and maybe, just maybe, that was a good thing_.

…

Mira woke up gasping for air. Her heart was racing at the memory of that dream. It felt so real, almost as if it was a memory. She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. It was just another nightmare as far as she was concerned. And lately, they seemed to happen more frequently. Ever since the fight with Cyrus and her departure from Tron's safehouse, the nightmares had been happening almost every couple of cycles. They were getting worse with each passing cycle, it seemed.

She knew now that her mother had given her up for adoption as a baby. She was also aware that she didn't even know if anyone had adopted her. For most of the short time she spent in the Real World, she had lived with foster parents. It had been a long time since she thought of the Real World, and somehow, she had a feeling it was better not to think of it. She knew that dwelling on that part of her past would only bring back bad memories. And it would remind her that she truly was alone, in both worlds.

Once she had cleared her mind, Mira sat up and tried to stretch out her back. She'd almost forgotten how difficult it was sleeping on the ground. When she was on her own before finding a job at the club, she had gotten used to sleeping on the ground. Though it left her back with new aches and bruises, she stretched herself out to force the pain away as best as she could. With that task finished, she reached for her light cycle baton and headed straight for the nearest light source in the Outlands.

That was the easy part. These light sources had been spreading across the Outlands since the incident with Cyrus. The intense energy they gave off was enough of an alarm for Mira. She had a suspicious feeling they were Portals. It would make sense, even if Portals could only be open from the Real World. The thought sent a shiver of unease through her. If the Portals were opening up the way they were, it wouldn't be long before programs discovered them. She could only imagine what would happen if programs went through the Portals and used them to escape from Clu's tyranny.

Sure enough, Mira had reached the nearest light source within nanocycles. She studied the light curiously, noticing the fact that it gave off a strange source of heat. Oddly enough, the light source itself seemed calming. It was really a spectacle. Portals were always something that brought a sense of hope to programs before the Betrayal. Now, Mira understood why. Flynn's arrival had always been a reminder that there was peace on the Grid until the Betrayal.

"How in the Users did this happen?" she wondered aloud.

It didn't matter if anyone was around to hear her. What she wanted to know was if there was a way to close them all. Clu would use them to his advantage. He would try to take over the Real World, and she knew that would end very badly. His hatred for Users and anything that wasn't his view of perfection would become his ultimate downfall. Mira had no doubt in the back of her mind that Users were the least perfect beings anyone could ever meet. After all, she was far from perfect herself.

Mira flinched when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She glanced over her shoulder to find someone familiar charging after her, and she almost laughed at the sight. Rinzler, with his tail waving in the air, was running at her at full speed until he jumped into her arms and nuzzled her affectionately. Hearing his purr was just another reminder that she'd almost lost him when she allowed herself to be taken by Clu.

"It's good to see you too," she laughed, feeling reassured now that he was staring at her with his large reddish-orange eyes.

But Rinzler being here left her with realizing that he wouldn't have gotten here on his own. Beck had told her that Tron was watching over the kitten until she was ready to show herself. It had been lonely around the cave without the little kitten around. She didn't realize until his disappearance how much she missed having his company.

Rinzler's presence only left her glancing up warily as she noticed the two programs approaching cautiously. Her mask concealed her face, but Rinzler had recognized her within nanocycles. She watched them warily as the Renegade was the first to step forward, having recognized her as well. Tron was the only one who seemed hesitant at first. Eventually, he finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence that seemed to last forever.

"You're here to investigate the Portals as well?"

Mira stiffened at the way he spoke, acting as if he didn't know her. She glanced at the Renegade, who merely shrugged with equal confusion. Tron was doing a good job at acting as if he didn't know who she was. Which would have been a good thing if it wasn't for the Portals looming beside them.

"Yeah," she replied warily. She glanced at the Portal uneasily, a new sense of understanding dawning on her. Portals, which led to the Real World, could certainly be a problem on the Grid. She wondered how many programs had wandered through accidentally. Or how many more had wandered through with a real purpose, to find freedom from Clu's tyranny. "Do you know why these are suddenly showing up across the Outlands?"

"Portals are made out of pure energy," Tron explained with a shrug. "Flynn once told me the conditions would have to be right for them to start opening, though he never had the chance to prepare anyone for what might happen when they did."

She nodded at that, having already suspected that he wouldn't have had the time to tell anyone how to close them. So, that left her with figuring this out. Even with all his gifts as a security administrator, Tron wouldn't have the capabilities to close the Portals.

That was just another mistake Flynn had made. She knew that had he thought things through, or if he was given the chance to think of what would happen if a rogue program like Clu took over, things would be different.

She swallowed hard at the thought. Dwelling on the past was never going to get her anywhere. Mira tried telling herself this multiple times, though she knew it would always keep rushing back. Because sometimes the past was better than the current present they were now facing.

"Is there a chance that a User could close it?" the Renegade suggested.

Mira resisted the urge to glare at him when she noticed how tense Tron had gotten at the mention of 'User'. Way to give away her position; though she had an eerie feeling he might be right. These Portals hadn't begun opening until recently. Flynn was the only one who had the power to close them, as far as everyone was concerned. Though they were never closed before from within the Grid, Mira had to guess that they could be closed.

That was when she heard the faint whirring of a disk, and the circuits on Tron's suit flicker from white to orange. It had happened so fast that she wasn't sure whether it was real. The mention of a 'User' had triggered something within him, and she didn't like it.

"Flynn mentioned that Users had the capability of opening and closing Portals," Tron replied after giving it some thought.

She held back a sigh of frustration, and looked at Rinzler uneasily. The kitten only mewled in concern and pressed his nose against her arm. He seemed to sense her discomfort at revealing her identity. Despite the fact that Tron likely already knew, it still left her feeling uneasy. It had been a long time since she was able to trust anyone on the Grid. Beck had done everything he could to make her feel a little more at ease, though even he sometimes understood why she hid herself the way she did.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I'm a User, then," she stated, keeping her voice steady as her helmet collapsed.

She couldn't imagine a better time to show herself than now. The Portals were a problem that needed to be handled, immediately. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't hide her identity forever. Even if she was able to hide herself while closing the Portals, Tron would somehow figure out who she was eventually.

She wasn't expecting Tron to not look so surprised when he recognized who she was. His mask receded, and so did Beck's nanocycles later. Once it was clear that there was no turning back, Mira glanced at Tron, half-expecting him to look angry for not returning sooner. Instead, she found it impossible to read his emotions.

"You knew who I was this whole time, didn't you?" she demanded in an accusing tone.

To her surprise, and amazement, he actually looked _amused_.

"I'll admit; your disguises were good. You even had Clu fooled for the first few cycles," he replied, and Mira flinched at the mention of Clu. Her last encounter with Clu had not ended well, especially when she recalled the way he had treated her in the prison cell. "I knew it was you the micro Clu used Beck and his friends as bait."

She flinched at the not-so-happy memory of getting captured again by Clu. None of that should have happened in the first place. As much as Mira hated to admit it, she knew that getting herself captured was the only way to save Beck and his friends. She wouldn't hesitate to do so again if it meant keeping them safe from Clu's reign of tyranny.

"Well, I'm here now. What must I do to close the Portal?" she asked.

She tried her best to ignore the fact that Tron had pointed out all of her mistakes. Most of them were stupid ones made based purely off of her emotions, and she allowed them to get the better of her. She wondered whether Tron would know or not. Given the fact that Flynn had left little information about Portals, she wasn't so sure.

"Flynn showed me, once," Tron explained.

Mira tilted her head to one side as she recalled him mentioning only Users were capable of closing the Portals. Which left her with the realization of what she was supposed to do next.

She had to use her disk to close it. Mira bit the bottom of her lip as she glanced at the Portal anxiously. Rinzler had jumped out of her arms at this point, and joined Beck and Tron as she continued staring. This was something she never expected to do.

The nanocycle she held her disk close to the Portal was when she felt the odd tingling along her arms and legs. The energy pulsing from the Portal was almost overwhelming. She wasn't even sure why she was so nervous as she got closer, and hesitated for just a nanocycle. Closing her eyes, she reached out and allowed the blinding light to flood around her.

…

Beck could only watch helplessly as she struggled to stand on her own feet. He didn't know what it was like to close Portals, but it looked excruciatingly painful. It took a few microcycles for something, anything to happen. The blinding light had begun to slowly fade, along with the intense energy pouring from it. Eventually, the light faded all together, and all that was left was Mira, holding onto her disk for dear life.

The nanocycle she started swaying was when he rushed in to catch her. The circuits along her suit were dull, as if closing the Portal had drained all of her energy. He wasn't expecting that to happen, and he glanced at Tron warily.

"What happened?" was all he could ask.

"Closing the Portal requires a massive amount of energy," Tron explained as he checked to make sure she was still alive. That thought alone sent thrills of fear through Beck. He hadn't realized the risk she was taking when closing the Portal. "She just needs some energy," he reassured the young mechanic.

Beck held back a sigh of relief when he realized that was all she needed. He hadn't realized until then just how much losing her would mean to him. Tron seemed to sense it too, but he kept quiet about it.

Once they had reached the cave where she was currently sleeping in, Beck gently put her down and left a glass of energy for her. Luckily, out here in the Outlands, Tron seemed to have access to all sorts of energy. That kind of skill would always come in handy for basic survival skills.

Rinzler refused to leave her side as Tron discussed with Beck what she had been up to since they left her here the last time. It was difficult for Beck to openly admit that she had acted strangely around Paige. The way she acted reminded him of just how vulnerable Users were. He'd never seen programs behave that way.

"I think she's just going through difficult times," Beck sighed as he leaned against a rocky wall. Tron did the same, though his arms were crossed as he listened thoughtfully. "I never realized how complicated Users were."

"She's not like Flynn," Tron agreed with him. "At least with him, it was always easy to predict what he was going to do."

Not to mention, Beck seriously doubted Flynn had the trust issues she did. Though it was really impossible to compare the Creator with her. Mira was so different from other programs he'd ever met. He wouldn't want her being any different, despite how complicated she could be at times.

Her tenacity and willpower to keep fighting the impossible battles were some qualities that Beck had always secretly admired. There were times when he wished he could have the confidence that Mira usually had when facing an opponent.

"So, what now?" Beck asked warily. "I get the feeling she won't be in the best moods when she wakes up."

"Most likely not." Beck rose an eyebrow when Tron chuckled at that, recalling the many times when he'd woken her up and paid the price. Mira didn't usually hold back when it came to taking her anger out on anyone, which could be a dangerous trait. "Beck, I want you to stay here. She could probably use the company after waking up."

Beck looked at Tron in surprise before nodding in agreement. Though, he wasn't looking forward to seeing what would happen in the near future.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Nothing. Paige had tried looking everywhere in Argon, and found nothing. She scowled at the realization that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as skilled at tracking as she would have liked. The User was impossible to track down, she knew that now. But after asking every program at Able's garage where he might be, she had no clue where Beck could be hiding.

She was beginning to understand that Beck and the User were somehow connected. Paige should have known that there was something going on between the two, but as usual, she had allowed her emotions to get the better of her.

Though she had never thought of trying to think like a User, maybe it was time she started to. She wasn't even sure why she was so determined to find her. The User was the reason why she was feeling so conflicted at the moment. Yet, the User was also the reason why she was still alive.

 _Instead of thinking like a User, think like a program on the run_ , she told herself. As a Commander, it had always been her job to search for programs breaking curfew or causing misconduct. When that happened, she would usually find them hiding by the docks, or the Outlands.

"Yes, she has to be hiding there!" she snapped her fingers to no one in particular, earning a few looks from programs passing by.

Rolling her eyes at their expressions, Paige rezzed her light cycle and took off towards the Outlands.

There was one thing she hadn't thought of until reaching the Outlands: It was a huge, empty wasteland as far as she was concerned. Programs usually came here to hide from the Occupation. But energy out here was limited. If they wanted to survive, they were forced to go back to cities within a few cycles. Paige was fully aware of the fact that she wouldn't last long, either. She was already low on energy, but that didn't stop her from pushing forward.

Once Paige focused on something, she never stopped until achieving her goal. That gave her the incentive to keep moving forward, until she finally spotted a familiar looking cave off in the distance. Her eyes widened as she remembered finding Beck there. He would likely still be there, if he was hiding from the Occupation himself. Or, if he was helping the User, like she suspected, Paige knew that she would be with him.

She didn't stop until finally reaching the cave. In any normal circumstances, vicious storms usually whipped across the Outlands. But this cycle, it was eerily calm. Paige looked around warily, as if expecting an enemy to leap out of the shadows as she turned her light cycle back into a baton and cautiously approached the cave.

Paige instinctively stopped when she found Beck sitting on the floor of the cave beside an unmoving form. Her eyes widened even more when she found an odd looking creature staying by that form's side. It stared at her with large orange eyes, and Paige almost reached for her disk when she caught the warning look Beck gave her.

"She'd never forgive you if you derezzed him," he said in an accusing tone. As if to prove a point, the creature jumped into his arms, and he gently stroked between it's ears in response. Paige could only stare at him in disbelief. He was acting like this creature had been around for a long time, almost like a bite. "What are you doing here, anyways?"

She let out a sigh before deciding to sit down as well. She kept her distance, in case the User decided to choose that moment to wake up. Something told her that the User wouldn't hesitate to derezz her, if given the chance.

"Look, I came here because I was hoping to apologize," she explained warily. "And just so you know, this is not easy. I've never had to apologize for _anything_."

"Really?" Beck rose an eyebrow, and Paige narrowed her eyes as she saw where this was going, and she let out another sigh of exasperation. "Maybe you could try saying that to her, when she wakes up."

Paige looked down at the User's sleeping form warily. She flinched after noticing all the scars etched along her face. It was the first time she had gotten a good look at the User. She usually wore a mask or tried to keep those scars hidden in some way, but this time, she was completely vulnerable.

"I know that my actions are unforgivable, and I'm not looking for forgiveness," she went on after flinching at the thought of what Clu had done to this User. "I just hope that one day, I can make up for all of my past mistakes."

She didn't miss the look of surprise flashing in Beck's eyes. Was it really that surprising she would say something like that? Shaking her head at the thought, Paige was about to stand up and leave when he grabbed hold of her hand, causing the creature to jump out of his arms.

"Paige, what are you planning on doing next?" he asked.

Paige glanced at him warily before letting out yet another sigh.

"I'm thinking of working as a medic again," she replied. "Maybe I can work somewhere in Bismuth; they're always looking for new recruits. At least it's a fresh start."

To her surprise, he actually nodded in understanding. Paige was sort of hoping that he would fight against her idea, find some other suggestion for her.

"That's a great idea, Paige," he reassured her with a charming smile. "You'd make a great medic."

 _No, I wouldn't_ , she thought bitterly. _Maybe when I was younger and less influenced_.

But to hear someone who could easily pass for the Renegade say that, she did feel flattered. Taking a deep breath, Paige gave the User and Beck one last look.

"I should probably go before she wakes up," she informed him. "Thanks again, for being a great friend. Maybe even more than that. I'll miss you."

With that thought in mind, Paige stepped out of the cave and left them sitting there. She didn't want to stay any longer than she needed to. That User could turn violent and strike at her. And that was the last thing she wanted. Paige realized now that she was meant to survive, and move on with life. That was the reason she had lived for so long, and the reason why she would continue living.

…

Once Paige was gone, Beck was left with staring at empty darkness for what felt like pectrocycles. What she had said surprised him. She wanted to apologize for her actions. It sounded so unlike her, almost as if Paige had gotten a sudden revelation. He shook his head at the thought, knowing this was probably the last time he would ever see her.

 _It's probably better that way_ , he told himself. They were never meant to actually be together. Beck knew that, now. Destiny worked in strange ways, and somehow, his destiny had intertwined with Mira's. He wasn't going to leave her, and let her fall in the hands of Clu. Her life was now what mattered the most to him.

Speaking of which, she was beginning to finally stir. Rinzler was looking at her with an expression that told Beck he'd been waiting all too long for this moment. It had been exactly one cycle since she closed the Portal, and Beck was growing increasingly worried that she wouldn't wake up. So, it was a huge relief when he saw her eyes slowly open.

"Hey," she said, her voice oddly weak as she struggled to sit up. Then her eyes narrowed for just a brief moment. "Have you been watching me sleep this whole time?"

Now she sounded like her old self, and Beck almost laughed at the irony of it.

"Not the whole time, but… Tron wanted me to make sure you recovered," he explained with a shrug.

Mira let out a sigh of relief as she sat up straighter, gently rubbing Rinzler between the ears as he sat on her lap. The kitten seemed more at home with her than anyone else. It was only fitting, since she was the one who created him.

"Do you remember what happened?" he pressed, leaning forward as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened while she closed the Portal.

If they kept this up, she would never survive the next hilocycle. After seeing the way she closed the Portal and how it drained her energy, he wasn't in any hurry for her to do so again. She made a face before looking away, and Beck assumed she was trying to remember the details.

"Everything's all a blur," she replied in a grim tone. "I can remember seeing bits and pieces of the Real World, but even that was all fuzzy. What I _do_ remember is hearing someone talking to me. They told me how to close the Portal."

Beck's eyebrows furrowed at that. It sounded as if there was more to it than she was letting on, and judging by the way she refused to make eye contact with him, there was. He didn't want to press, though. Something told him that would only make things worse. Besides, she was awake, and that meant they could move on.

"Tron said that more Portals were opening up throughout the Outlands," he explained after they both stood up.

"Great, just what we need," Mira muttered with a roll of her eyes. "I'm guessing he wants us both back at the safehouse?"

He looked at her in surprise before nodding at that. Tron had wanted to ensure that there was a way to close the Portals permanently. There was no way Clu could find a way through them. If he did, then it would be the end for the Users.

As they made their way to the safehouse on their light cycles, with Rinzler clinging onto Mira for dear life, Beck wondered if she would ever go back to the Real World. These Portals gave her the perfect opportunity to turn her back on the same programs who would turn her in within nanocycles. He frowned at the thought, realizing that she probably would do that just to hold a grudge. He tried not to think about it as they reached the safehouse in question.

Sure enough, they found Tron already waiting for them when they arrived. Beck crossed his arms as the security program turned to face them. Fortunately, Tron went right down to business as he tried to ignore the tense atmosphere.

"So far, there have been numerous Portals opening throughout the Outlands. One opened up in Argon City, right next to the club," Tron explained as he went through the files on his screen overlooking the Outlands.

"Makes sense," Mira replied with a shrug. "There's an energy canteen right next to the club, so my guess is, it's been leaking for some time." Tron looked at her in surprise before nodding in agreement. Even Beck was caught by surprise with her knowledge of energy containment. "What I would like to know is, how that's even possible? I thought Clu took all of the energy he could?"

"Energy can't be contained, not completely," Tron replied. Sure enough, as Tron zoomed in to one of the images, Beck saw a pool of energy in the Outlands. That pool of energy could easily be taken as an oasis to programs hiding from Clu, and Beck was surprised no one else had found it, yet. "Energy builds and grows, until it becomes unstable."

"Hence the reason why these Portals are opening up," Mira confirmed and crossed her arms. "So, the real question is, how do we stop this from spreading?"

"As far as I know, only Flynn was capable of closing them… from the Real World."

Beck's eyes widened in alarm when Tron said that. Tron's response was exactly the answer he'd been dreading.

He glanced at Mira anxiously, knowing that she would probably jump at the opportunity to go back. But to his surprise, and confusion, he saw a mixture of worry and fear within her eyes. Beck rose an eyebrow in surprise, and realized something must be wrong.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back," she sighed, her shoulders sagging with wariness. Beck looked at her in disbelief. He would have thought for sure that she would want to go back. "I mean, what happens if I mess up?"

"You won't." Mira blinked in surprise when Beck said that, and he surprised himself. "Mira, for as long as I've known you, all you've ever done is prove yourself. You're braver than any other program I've ever met, and I can't imagine having a better friend."

 _Where did that come from_? Even Tron looked surprised by what he had said, but he nodded in approval. A moment of awkward silence followed, and Beck was suddenly left worrying that he had crossed the line.

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to see the Real World again," she admitted. As she said that, Beck could see that she had already made her choice. "Alright, I'll go."

"You won't go alone," Tron suddenly reassured her, earning a look of surprise from both Beck and Mira.

Then it dawned on Beck what he meant by that.

The Real World… Beck never once thought he would have the opportunity to go there. And now, Tron was giving him the chance to find a better life in a world that wasn't ruled by a tyrant. He hadn't missed the look of relief in Mira's eyes, either, which only resolved his willingness to go.

…

Perfection led to freedom. Freedom led to the perfection of the Grid. Perfection led to the cleansing of the Grid. Everything was almost perfect. Almost. It was clear, though, that things were not as black and white as the perfect soldier once thought; though he rarely had thoughts of his own until now.

The program walked throughout the hallways of Clu's base. These halls were all he knew, unless Clu wanted him to enforce his view of perfection on those who were breaking the law. Guards and soldiers who were below him, and fully aware of his history, coward before him. His very name struck fear into the eyes of his enemies.

He was Rinzler. Clu's perfect, mindless soldier. He who had helped Clu destroy what was left of the ISOs, he who ensured that Clu's rules were final. Anyone who had been around long enough knew who he was. Those unfortunate enough to cross his path never escaped without scars, or derezzing.

All except for one. The one time that Rinzler had allowed someone to go was his greatest failure, and regret. The User. Something about that User had intrigued Rinzler. Perhaps it was her will to survive. Or something much deeper. Either way, Rinzler had taken out his frustration on her. He was responsible for all of the horrific scars that she would forever have. Clu finished the job for him when she was unconscious. He would drag her away to some chamber of his, and lock the doors for no soldier or guard to visit.

No program knew just what Clu had done to that User. They would never know the full extent of physical damage that he had inflicted upon her. It became apparent that she would always suffer from the long cycles that were spent in these halls.

Eventually, Rinzler made his way to Clu's throne room. He was already aware of the reason behind Clu summoning him. Of all the mistakes that Rinzler had made in his past, it was letting the User go. Clu still held a grudge for that, given she would have become his _second_ perfect soldier.

The nanocycle he had reached Clu's throne room was when time seemed to slow down. As he awaited the punishment that would follow, Rinzler began to _think_ more clearly. It had been xilacycles since he had the ability to think properly. Clu finally turned to face him, and Rinzler merely stood and waited for him to say anything that would break the eerie silence that filled the room.

"I've been thinking of a suitable punishment for you, Rinzler," Clu began in an icy calm tone. "You were always the perfect soldier; someone I could rely on when there was no one else. But I've got my eye on someone new, someone who is more… suited for the job." His smirk turned into the rarest of smiles, and Rinzler immediately thought back to the User. Was Clu planning on capturing her, again? "You were nothing more than a wild card, and now, I don't need you."

Rinzler merely bowed his head and obeyed Clu's command, like the obedient soldier he was. But as Clu reached for his disk and activated it, something registered within Rinzler's mind. A deep, rooted instinct that triggered his arm to move and grab hold of Clu's wrist.

That was a big mistake. Clu's smirk turned to a scowl as he twisted Rinzler's arm the wrong way, sending a jolt of pain through him. Clu's attacks were quick and merciless as he activated his disk and sliced it across Rinzler's chest.

Surprisingly, Rinzler felt no pain the nanocycle the disk went across his chest. Instead, it felt as if a release of memories suddenly flashed across his vision. Memories of a past life, where he was recently rezzed into the Grid and worked to help the Creator bring peace among the cities. Memories of helping that ISO, Quorra, and ultimately sacrificing himself to save her.

It became agonizingly clear that he would never live up to the reputation that the protector of the Grid had. His name was Anon. The name was another reminder of his sad, short life. And in a nanocycle, blackness took over.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter Twenty Three**

She couldn't help but grin sheepishly as Rinzler jumped at a light she created from the reflection of her disk. The kitten was full of energy, as usual. It felt like cycles since she last saw him, and she was thankful that Rinzler made it out okay. She had been worried that he wouldn't survive after she was taken by Clu. The good news was, it seemed he knew where to go if anything had happened to her.

Speaking of Tron, she was more than relieved that he had allowed her to leave the safehouse.

After spending a good two pectrocycles discussing the plan and how they would close the Portals, Mira was thankful to get away. It gave her a chance to think of what the Real World would be like when she went back. On top of it, Beck was going with her. She wasn't sure why she felt so relieved to have some backup, especially with someone she had gotten to know and care about.

When Tron had said that she would have to go to the Real World, she was terrified. In truth, she wasn't sure what to expect. It had been xilacycles since she last saw the Real World. She doubted anyone would remember who she even was. It was more likely that the Users had given up on her.

Rinzler suddenly distracted her from her thoughts when he pounced on a pebble. She almost laughed when Rinzler ended up landing flat on his face. He recovered quickly, though and started cleaning his whiskers once it was said and done. She was amazed with the way he acted as if nothing had happened. Despite the constant trouble he got himself into, he never once allowed that to slow him down or stop him from being a kitten full of energy.

"What am I going to do with you?" she wondered out loud. She knelt down and scooped Rinzler into her arms, to which he was happy to oblige, albeit he started squirming a little. "Well, we might as well go see what Beck's up to." Rinzler merely looked at her with large reddish-orange eyes, and Mira was reminded once again of how programs would likely be terrified of his sudden appearance. "You'd better stay here."

The look Rinzler gave her said that was the last thing on his mind. Letting out a sigh, she gently put him down and turned to leave. At this point, she didn't bother making a cage for him, because she knew that he would just find another way to escape.

Maybe, if programs functioned like Users, they wouldn't react like Rinzler was some kind of monster. They'd probably melt under that stare and give in to whatever he wanted. Then again, she hardly remembered how Users functioned in the Real World. She had gotten so familiar with how programs worked that it was impossible to think in the terms of a User.

Shaking her head at the thought, she rezzed her light cycle and took off towards Argon. Wind whipped past her face as for the first time in cycles, she didn't have a mask to hide it. She was done wearing masks. For so long she had been hiding. It started to rain as she arrived at Able's garage; the weather on the Grid always seemed to change at the last nanocycle, but even this felt ominous as she turned her light cycle back into a baton.

Wonderful. By the time she got inside the garage, she was soaked through. Apparently, when it rained, it poured. Lightning streaked across the sky as if to strengthen the ominous feeling lurching in her stomach. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Of all the horrible things that had happened over the hilocycle, she couldn't imagine what could be worse. Facing Cyrus, Clu and even the real Rinzler had been bad enough.

Then again, when it came to living on the Grid, Mira had begun expecting the worst-case scenario. She found that she was rarely disappointed when something worse would happen the following cycle.

"Hey, I'm glad you could make it." Mira almost jumped at the sound of Beck's voice, and out of sheer instinct, she reached for her light sword until spinning around to find him looking at her in amusement. Though, he held his hands in the air to show that he wasn't a threat. "You're not afraid of a little storm, are you?"

"Of course not!" she retorted, though truthfully, the storm wasn't the only reason she felt so nervous. She would never admit out loud the real reason she was so jumpy. It just felt like something really, really bad was going to happen, and she couldn't help but fear the worse. "Where is everyone?"

"Able's closed the garage for the next few pectrocycles," Beck explained with a shrug. But the look in his eyes told her that something else was going on. She crossed her arms and waited for the bad news to come. "Tesler's called for a city-wide meeting at the coliseum."

Great, that was just one more thing to worry about. Though, Mira had an eerie feeling that she knew what it was about. Her heart was racing with dread as she thought of everything that could possibly happen from this 'meeting'. Tesler probably knew about the Portals. Heck, anyone with close ties to Clu probably knew.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Mira realized that Able himself was approaching them. The older program rose an eyebrow when he saw the two together. Link and Copper were the only ones finishing up the last shift's cleanup before leaving themselves. Mira didn't miss the cold looks they were giving Beck, either.

"Beck, what are you still doing here?" Able asked when he approached them.

Mira couldn't help but stiffen when Able's eyes fell upon her. It was out of pure habit. She hated it when programs stared her down as if they were waiting for something to happen. Most programs had begun looking at her simply because of the scars she tried to hide, and she tried to avoid catching their eyes when they noticed them.

"Hey, Able… long time no see," she said with the slightest shrugs.

The look in Able's eyes told her that he wasn't expecting to see her again. Or for her to be so open around him. Able was probably one of the few programs she could trust. She knew that, now. She just wished that she could feel the same way about other programs.

After the way they had reacted to Clu's revelation, she had no doubt they would turn her in the nano they found out who or what she was. The worst part was knowing that she had been fighting for these same programs and their freedom. They were too ignorant to realize that they had the potential to do so much more than what Clu offered.

"Mira. I was wondering when you would show yourself, again." What he said didn't surprise her. "So, I take it you're the one who gave yourself up when Beck and the others were captured."

Mira flinched at that. Those were memories she would rather forget. Clu was the one responsible for what had happened to them. Between marking all of the programs in Argon just to find out which one was her, to using Beck and his friends as bait, she really did hate Clu with all of her will.

 _What I wouldn't give to see him suffer for everything he's done_ , she thought.

"So, what's the deal with this meeting?" she asked, hoping to change the uneasy subject.

"Don't know," Able replied with a shrug. "Though, I have a feeling it has something to do with our ever popular Renegade, and you."

She didn't miss the look of concern in Beck's eyes, or the fact that Able was probably right. Any city-wide meeting that Tesler held usually involved programs finding the Renegade, and giving out whatever information they had on _her_.

The last few cycles had begun with meetings revolving around finding the User that was supposedly spreading malicious lies across the Grid. Mira nearly rolled her eyes at the thought. If Clu was so desperate to catch her, he would try and find her himself instead of sending an entire army after her.

"Well, I suppose this means it's best we don't keep him waiting," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Honestly, the last thing she wanted was to hear another wonderful speech from Tesler. He was just as bad as Clu. With that thought in mind, they headed down to the coliseum where everyone would be waiting.

…

This cycle marked the start of something new in Paige's life. She had returned to Argon City and decided to spend one last cycle here before leaving for Bismuth. Argon held some fond memories for her, and not so happy ones. From her first encounter with the Renegade, to meeting Beck and becoming good friends with him.

She would never forget him. Beck was one of the reasons why she had chosen to spend one more cycle here. He reminded her that sometimes it was good to have fun at her job, even if she took it too seriously.

The only problem was, Tesler had called for a city-wide meeting the very cycle she was planning to leave. Guards were posted at every entrance of the city, in case programs tried to flee during the meeting. Paige scowled at the thought as she headed for the coliseum.

If Tesler thought he was going to draw out the Renegade this way, he was dead wrong. Paige suspected the Renegade had caught on with his little act. Tesler was no fool, though. He would think of some clever way of attracting the Renegade, and the User who was still in Argon.

Once she reached the coliseum, she could see that it was packed with programs who were just as curious as she was to see what this was about. Paige's eyes widened when she realized that it wasn't Tesler who addressed the crowd, this time. Instead, Dyson took the plate and stepped forward once the crowd was situated.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw another program standing between a very uneasy looking Tesler and Dyson. She hadn't missed the emblem on his chest, or the fact that everyone else was gawking at him. What was the Renegade doing with Dyson and Tesler?! Was he just giving up that easily?

"Programs of Argon City, I have gathered you all here for a good reason," Dyson explained when the crowd fell silent. Unease crawled through Paige as she realized just how serious this was. If Dyson was here, she had a feeling that Clu wasn't far behind. "The end of the Renegade is near! Our reinforcements have discovered his true identity!"

Almost at once, the crowd cheered in response. Paige took a step forward, her eyes widening when she realized just how many programs had been looking forward to this moment. The Renegade's identity was something that had always thrown programs off. Once they knew, it would be the end of the line for the Renegade.

 _He wouldn't just give himself up willingly_ , Paige told herself. The Renegade fought for the protection of other programs. Paige understood that now. But, if Tesler and Dyson had discovered who he was, his job was about to get that much more difficult.

Paige couldn't help but frown as she thought of how much she had hated the Renegade when they first met. His behavior was what had really pissed her off. He was flirting with her, acting as if this was nothing new to him. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it. Now as she put in some more thought, Paige was beginning to realize how similar the Renegade's behavior was to Beck's. The two of them were oddly similar.

Yet that didn't mean Beck and the Renegade were one in the same, right? Paige tried shaking off the uneasy thoughts. Beck had been with the User, just as the Renegade would have been when they rescued her from Clu's grasp.

"The Renegade has been playing us as fools this entire time!" Tesler spoke next.

Unease swept through Paige as she tried peering closer at the screens that surrounded the coliseum. She couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that was threatening to overwhelm her. She knew that if Beck's image did appear across those screens, there was nowhere he could hide.

"It's time the Renegade faced execution for all of the crimes he has committed," Dyson went on as images began appearing across the screens. Paige's eyes widened with horror as she recognized the program they were talking about. "Show yourself, mechanic!"

…

Mara's eyes widened in complete disbelief when an image of Beck's face was plastered across the screens. She exchanged an anxious look with Zed as understanding finally dawned on them.

She had been so harsh towards Beck, for so many cycles. She used to laugh along with her other coworkers about how lazy and 'incompetent' he was at his job. This felt like a horrible nightmare that she wanted to wake up from. But this was real, and she had been an even more horrible friend.

"Able, please tell me that Beck isn't with this crowd?" she asked as their boss's eyes widened in shock. Though to her surprise, he didn't look nearly as surprised as she would have hoped. Instead, he looked mortified that the Renegade's cover was blown.

"I didn't see him go with me," Able replied after recovering from the initial shock. "He was with… his friend."

A sigh of relief escaped from Mara's lungs at that. At least Beck was smart enough to know not to show himself at this time. Yet Mara's mind was still reeling with this new information. Beck was the Renegade. Why hadn't she seen this coming? She should have, given how many times the Renegade had saved both her and Zed.

Then there was the User that had given herself up to save Mara and the rest of her friends. She had risked her own life to save them, and she must have known Beck for that very reason. Beck, who must have supported the User and had known her secret, was about to face the worst punishment imaginable.

Mara finally locked eyes with Zed as this realization quickly washed away with concern. What would Beck do now that the whole of the Grid knew? He had nowhere to hide. He wouldn't gain that much support from anyone just because of who he was.

Guilt gnawed at the mechanic at the thought. If only she had known sooner. Maybe none of this would have happened. Or worse, _their_ lives would have been in greater danger. Either way, it hadn't been fair to pin the blame on everything Beck had done.

 _Beck, I'm so sorry_ , she apologized silently.

For all the hardship she had put him through. All of the times she had taken her frustration out just because she could. It made her feel even worse knowing she probably would never get the chance to apologize to his face. He cared, even after all of the horrible things she and her coworkers said to him, or behind his back. And that was what Mara had learned about Beck. He was more than just a fellow mechanic, and more than just a friend. She knew that no matter what, Beck's memory as a coworker and friend would always live on.

* * *

 **AN: I'm sorry for not posting anything yesterday. Had a nasty case of the stomach bug, and couldn't even look at the computer screen without feeling dizzy :( At any rate, only one more chapter left before this is finished! Thanks to Retrokill for reviewing! It was a pleasant surprise getting at least one review :)**

 **Retrokill - Sorry, but it had to happen D:**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter Twenty Four**

" _And what we gon' live for in this life full of pain 'till we're aging and one day we'll get up and say we regretted our lives, 'Cause that's where we're going And do not pretend like you don't even notice, The funny thing is that you already know it I'm starting to think that you like how I feel, So be lost in the moment..._ " - Lost in the Moment, NF Featuring Jonathan Thulin

* * *

"You might wanna put your mask on."

Mira's voice was barely a whisper over the roaring crowd. She winced at the boos and hateful words that followed Tesler's big reveal. Luckily, Beck heeded her warning and did just that. His stunned expression was enough to tell her that this was not what he expected out of this meeting.

They weren't part of the crowd gathered within the coliseum, and Mira was thankful for that. She and Beck had slipped away from Able just as he was about to go inside with Copper and Link. They took the opportunity and found a spot where they could get a full view of the crowd, the screens, and Tesler and Dyson.

 _Why am I not surprised with how smug they look_? she wondered after nearly rolling her eyes at their expressions.

Dyson was the worst of them all. She had no doubt he was looking forward to hearing what wonderful praise he would receive from Clu when this was all said and done. After all, they now had one of the best warriors on the Grid under their control. Her fists clenched at the thought. If only they had seen this coming. It could have prepared them for just about anything the Grid threw at them.

Losing Tron was a heavy blow to both the Uprising and to Beck. He'd only just gotten Able back, but now he'd lost his mentor and probably one of the few programs who still supported him. Mira glanced at him self-consciously when she noticed just how stiff with shock he was.

"How did he find out?" Beck asked anxiously, and Mira understood where that was coming from.

Programs were already calling for execution. Others were yelling at Tesler to leave him alone, which surprised her. She noticed within the crowd that Mara, Zed and a few of his other coworkers were looking at one another in pure shock.

She could only imagine what was going on in their minds. After hearing Mara and his other coworkers accuse Beck of being lazy and incompetent, they must have been feeling some kind of guilt. Her fists clenched at the thought. It was more than likely that they felt angry over the fact that he'd kept his secret from them for so long. Even if it had been for their protection, along with his own.

Her heart was racing with dread as she caught sight of someone standing between Tesler and Dyson. Her eyes widened in horror as she recognized the emblem on the program's chest. What chilled her the most was seeing the black suit with orange and red circuits. He no longer looked like the protector of the Grid, or anyone she could trust.

Beck was having his own panic attack as he tried to figure a way out of this. It felt like some horrible nightmare that they refused to wake up from. Mira knew in her heart that this was real. That was why it felt so much worse.

That was when the sound of footsteps put her on high alert. Without a second thought, she reached for her disk and activated it until turning around to find someone familiar staring at them. Beck hardly noticed their presence, though. Mira glanced at him anxiously before letting out a sigh of frustration. She knew that he was already on edge over what had happened. Paige's presence wasn't going to help matters.

"You two!" Paige. She didn't sound furious like Mira expected. She blinked in confusion after noticing concern in her eyes, and it took a few nanocycles for Mira to notice that Paige had changed her suit's appearance. It no longer looked like she was working for the army. White and a calming green marked her suit, along with an emblem on her shoulder that said she was a medic. "You know, somehow I'm not surprised you're the Renegade. Or that you were with _her_ this whole time."

The last part had an accusing ring to it, and Mira couldn't help but wince. Paige had every right to hate her. Though, truthfully, Mira wasn't even sure why. It wasn't as if she had done anything to get Paige into trouble. All of the things that had happened to her was her own choice.

 _It isn't as if I asked for anything that happened to happen in the first place_ , she reminded herself silently.

She wouldn't have wished death upon anyone if she was given the choice. Even if they deserved to suffer some kind of punishment, deresolution was never the right answer. There had to be some other method that could be used before resorting to that method. Then again, Mira suspected that programs who followed Clu's every word would jump at the opportunity to derezz just to get on his good side.

"Paige, I don't know what you're talking about."

Mira rolled her eyes when Beck tried to make it sound as if he had no clue what just happened. Paige was smart enough to see right through his excuse. Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for an explanation.

 _She's not going to let him fool her this time_ , Mira thought after noticing how determined Paige looked this time. Though to her surprise, she didn't actually pose a threat to either of them at the moment. Mira was still wary around her, but Paige still hadn't reached for her disk like she normally would have during any encounter with the Renegades.

"Oh, please. Dyson and Tesler might be nothing more than liars, but they are right about one thing: You played us all like fools," she snapped. Beck only flinched at that, and Mira couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "I connected the pieces before even they could figure it out. Your behavior is almost the same, and you disappear almost every time the Renegade shows up. It only makes sense." A few tense nanocycles of silence followed as Paige shot Beck a death glare. But to Mira's surprise, her gaze softened a little. "But, I'm not going to derezz you. I think you've suffered enough these last few cycles. Both of you have."

"Look, this isn't the best place to have a casual chat about the Renegade," Mira pointed out. "Unless you'd rather have the whole of Argon on our heels, which I really wouldn't, we should go somewhere it's safe."

To her relief, Paige was all too willing to escape the coliseum before that happened. The three of them took off towards the outskirts of the city at a full sprint. Recognizers were already flying above the city, searching for anyone who hadn't been part of the meeting. Mira had a feeling that Dyson would already suspect Beck wouldn't attend the meeting, which left her feeling even more anxious that they might be found. Once they had stopped between buildings where they had a better chance at hiding, Mira glared at Paige accusingly.

"I know I haven't given you any reasons to trust me," the former Commander sighed as she noticed the look. "After all, I'm the one who gave Clu that idea. But since than, I've realized that maybe Users aren't as bad as he led us to believe."

"Yeah, no kidding," Mira retorted.

She crossed her arms and studied Paige warily. To her credit, Paige didn't flinch. She knew that Mira was just being honest, and she couldn't necessarily find any fault in her response. Beck's helmet receded, and Mira resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she noticed the tension between them.

Of course he was tense after all of that. She couldn't necessarily blame him for being wary of the former Commander who was now standing in front of them. Paige seemed indifferent to it though, and Mira wondered if this change of heart was something she had _really_ taken into consideration.

She was going to risk losing everything she had worked for just when Tron turned against them. Mira knew in the back of her mind that fighting back might seem like a pointless battle. But there _were_ those who were willing to do so. And hopefully Paige would help bring them together and fight against Clu's tyranny.

"Look, I was only following orders when it happened," Paige muttered, refusing to make eye contact with Mira, whose own helmet was receded. "And I know now that what happened was wrong. None of it should have happened, but there's nothing I can do to change the past. What I want now is to redeem myself, and make a new life in Bismuth."

It looked as if Paige was about to say more, but she closed her mouth and looked down at the ground.

"Paige," Mira began after taking a deep breath. Paige finally found the courage to make eye contact, and Mira flinched when she saw mixtures of emotions swirling within their depths. "I forgive you." The look on her face told Mira that this was the last thing she expected. Even Beck looked a little surprised. "Throughout my life, through all of the xilacycles I've been here, not once has anyone apologized for what happened to me. All except for one other, and you know her."

Paige's eyes widened in disbelief as she understood who Mira was referring to. Good thing she was smart, because Paige really would have never thought that an ISO would go out of her way to help anyone, let alone a User. Seeing the look in her eyes told Mira that was exactly what Paige thought.

"I-I never expected… Quorra and Ada—"

"They were trying to escape from the Purge," Beck explained, recalling the story that Mira had told him. "Tesler was the one who destroyed the hospital you worked at, and derezzed all of your friends and coworkers."

"More than likely, he saw fire in your soul," Mira went on, earning a wary look from Paige once again. "He probably thought he could take advantage of that, seeing as the ISOs left you untouched. Quorra saved your life, Paige."

And, for the first time in cycles, understanding lit within Paige's eyes. Mira hoped that this wouldn't backfire on them. Paige had enough anger within her to take on a whole army. She may use this as a way of getting revenge on Tesler, or worse, Clu.

"I should have known he would lie to me," Paige muttered bitterly. "Tesler never once showed me the files on how he found me. He always said it wasn't necessary for me to look at them, but now I know the reason why. He was only trying to save his own sorry butt."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Mira's lips. She took a step forward and gently clasped Paige's shoulder, earning a look of surprise from both Paige and Beck. Despite everything Paige put her through, this was the least she could do. Paige was trying to right her wrongs, and this was the first step towards doing just that.

"Paige, you're a good program," she reassured her. "And an even better medic. Use your skills to help programs. Do what you were always good at."

For a moment, Paige was too stunned to speak. Mira had surprised herself by saying that. She didn't really know whether or not it was right to trust Paige. But she did know that Paige would make a valuable asset to the Revolution, when it happened.

"Thank you," Paige finally replied, a rare smile spreading as she locked eyes with Mira and Beck. "For everything. I do plan on fighting back, but in my own way. I know now that's my destiny. And I won't stop until Clu is finished, once and for all." She suddenly stepped forward and kissed Beck on the cheek before stepping back. "Good luck, wherever it is you plan on going."

With those parting words, she disappeared into the shadows, and the distinctive sound of a light cycle engine revving could be heard. Mira let out a sigh of relief once Paige was gone, having almost forgotten how tense she was earlier.

"That was… different," Beck started once Paige was gone for good. "Are you okay?"

He noticed the look in Mira's eyes as she stared off in the distance. Her mind was churning with anxiety as she knew what would happen next. Finding a Portal and going through it was the last thing she wanted, especially after that last meeting in the city. But, it was the right thing to do. As much as Mira hated to admit it, they were needed elsewhere.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied after taking a deep breath and sighing in relief once more. "I'm just worried. It's been xilacycles since I've last seen the Real World. I don't even remember what it looks like."

"We'll get through this, together," Beck reassured her as they made their way to the Outlands. An uneasy silence followed when they reached the cave. Rinzler emerged from the cave the nano he heard them, and he let out a mewl of concern when he noticed their unease. "How would he have found out in the first place?" Beck wondered out loud, and Mira threw him a wary look.

 _I can't believe he hasn't figured it out yet_ , she thought bitterly. The fact that Dyson had somehow gotten his hands on the program only left her feeling angrier than ever with herself. She hated knowing that he was repurposed, and there was nothing they could do to bring him back.

"Beck, there was another program standing between them," she reminded him. Beck only looked at her in confusion, and she held back a groan of frustration. "Look, you saw the change too," she pointed out as patiently as she could.

"But… But I stopped the repurposing from happening!" Now it was her turn to look at him in confusion. "Look, Tron was… dying." Mira flinched when he said that, having already guessed that Cyrus must have compromised whatever healing abilities Tron had left. "The only way to fix it was through repurposing. I thought that I stopped it in time…"

Mira thought back to how repurposing worked. While she wasn't all that familiar with the crude process, she understood that it left little to nothing of the program. It was like they were turned into a stray, and given a new purpose through Clu. A shiver swept through her at the thought. She couldn't imagine a worse fate than being turned into one of his mindless zombies. She had seen enough programs suffer from getting repurposed, and it usually ended in miserable failure when they tried breaking free of said repurposing.

"There was nothing you could have done," she sighed.

Her shoulders suddenly felt heavier than ever as guilt crashed over her, along with the feeling of defeat. Maybe none of this would have happened had she been there. This was all her fault. She could have saved Tron from being repurposed all together. If only they had seen this coming. Her mind kept churning with thoughts on how they could have avoided the situation in the first place. But each time she came to a conclusion, something else got in the way.

Once it was clear there was nothing left they could do, Beck finally accepted that. It was time they moved on, and that they went to the Real World to finish the task at hand. From there, they could close the Portals and keep Clu from getting through at all.

With Rinzler riding on her shoulder, they headed to the nearest Portal within microcycles. It was far enough from Argon that programs wouldn't go looking for it. But it was still close enough that Tesler, Dyson or Clu could find it. Mira sent a silent prayer that they wouldn't have the nerve to go looking in the Outlands. She knew that if they ended up finding the Portal, the end results would lead to disaster.

The Real World wasn't ready to face whatever war Clu threatened to wage on them. And Mira couldn't help but feel as if it was their responsibility to prevent them from slipping through said Portal.

The nano they had reached the Portal was when Mira's heart began racing with dread. They turned their light cycles back into batons and approached it cautiously. Mira never once thought of what would happen once they went through.

 _Our lives will change forever_ , she thought. With one final look over her shoulder, and at the eerie orange glow of Argon, she gently held Beck's hand, and together, they stepped through the Portal.

* * *

 **AN: And, there's the ending to this story :) I am quite proud of how this story turned out after finally rewriting it. It's quite a darker take on what I originally wrote (which to me seems extremely bland, now that I look back at it). I'm planning on posting the sequel, which is a crossover with the Avengers, in case anyone was wondering, next week. Thank you kindly Retrokill for reviewing again, it's greatly appreciated :D**

 **Retrokill - It's okay, I'm glad that someone's reviewing at all. I'm mostly rewriting these for the fun of it, and because I felt like it was needed, but, reviews make it that much sweeter. And, hopefully this chapter explains that question. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)**


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